EU Pyro Directive to become law.
Posted by admin on 15 June 2007 - 10:14:46
The EU 'Pyro Directive' was officially published on 14th June which means that it will automatically become UK law on a fixed timetable. The UK authorities now have 30 months in which to publish the Laws and Regulations necessary to implement the directive. Six months later the law will take effect for all fireworks in categories 1, 2 and 3. A further 3 years is allowed for the law to include category 4 fireworks and, importantly for us, all pyrotechnic devices for stage use. This extra time is to allow the implementation of an EU wide standard for these devices.
The Directive will place stage pyro into two categories - T1 and T2. Devices in the T1 category are 'pyrotechnic articles for stage use which present a low hazard'. T2 is for 'pyrotechnic articles for stage use which are intended for use only by persons with specialist knowledge'.
It remains to be seen how the UK will implement 'specialist knowledge' but in the Directive it is defined as 'a person authorised by a member state to handle and/or use on its territory ... category T2 pyrotechnic articles.' Some commentators have seen this to mean a licensing scheme for operators.