The cabinet is preparing to introduce further limits on the sale and use of fireworks by the public during the New Year festivities.

The sale of fireworks will now be restricted to December 30 and 31, rather than December 29. In addition, they may only be set off from 18.00 hours on December 31, rather than 10.00 hours as at present.

The move is in response to growing calls for restrictions on the use of fireworks because of the injuries and damage to public property. The mayors of the country’s four big cities have called for tougher rules and Hilversum’s mayor plans to ban fireworks from the city centre.

Illegal fireworks

However, Leo Groeneveld, chairman of the firework sellers’ association, said the new rules will not solve the problems and that more needs to be done to combat the influx of illegal fireworks.

‘There are always thousands of complaints around Christmas but officially fireworks cannot be sold then,’ he told Nos television. ‘You can reduce the time allotted to legal fireworks but that does not keep illegal fireworks out of the country.’

A poll by EenVandaag last year showed two-thirds of the Dutch want a ban on the use of fireworks by the general public.

Every year dozens of people lose limbs and eyes in the New Year firework frenzy but ministers have refused to consider a ban, saying fireworks are part of the Dutch traditions