Alex Agius Saliba Pushes Back Against Calls To Ban Maltese Fireworks

A fresh debate surrounding Malta’s fireworks industry has erupted online after emails sent to Members of the European Parliament called for urgent EU intervention — and even a potential ban on fireworks manufacturing in Malta following recent factory explosions. The email, sent by Marta Wojciechowska to several MEPs, described Maltese fireworks facilities as posing “a persistent and unacceptable risk to human life, public safety, property, and the environment.” The message urged the European Parliament to investigate the industry’s safety risks and consider forcing Malta to prohibit fireworks manufacturing and large-scale storage facilities if safety cannot be guaranteed. The debate intensified further after Nicu Ștefănuță also renewed calls for a fireworks ban earlier this week, sharing footage from the recent Malta explosion and stating that fireworks pose dangers to both people and animals. “Ban fireworks once and for all,” he wrote. However, Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba strongly rejected the proposal, defending pyrotechnics as “an integral part of Malta’s cultural heritage.” “The production of fireworks is strictly regulated by Maltese law and we thank God that accidents of this sort are a rarity and not the norm,” he wrote in his reply. Agius Saliba also stressed that fireworks production and use are not matters that fall under EU competence. The discussion follows renewed safety concerns after recent explosions at Maltese fireworks facilities reignited national debate around regulation, safety and tradition. Should Malta rethink its fireworks industry? •