We received a notice today to inform any retailer or wholesaler who places Christmas Crackers for sale in the EU market may be effected by the possible changes to their legal obligations as a consequence of the United Kingdom leaving the EU.
Consequences for the Identification of Economic Operators and Labelling of Christmas Crackers:
Economic operators established in the UK are no longer considered as economic operators established in the EU. Consequently an economic operator established in Ireland who places Christmas Crackers on the market which have been sourced from an economic operator in the UK and where that UK operator has either manufactured the crackers themselves or imported them from another “third country” will now become an EU importer.
The specific obligations for EU importers are detailed in Directive 2013/29/EU and include the requirement to label the Christmas Crackers with the information about the importer. Article 12(3) of the Directive states that: “Importers shall indicate on the pyrotechnic article their name, registered trade name or registered trade mark and the postal address at which they can be contacted or, where that is not possible, on its packaging or in a document accompanying the pyrotechnic article. The contact details shall be in a language easily understood by end-users and market surveillance authorities.”
Only Christmas Crackers which are in compliance with this EU Directive can be placed on the market in Ireland.
Placing on the Market:
Christmas Crackers which have been placed on the market in the EU or UK prior to 1st January 2021 may be further made available on the EU market until they reach their end-user. If you have any queries or specific questions as to how this relates to your business including the labelling and sale of Christmas Crackers contact explosives@justice.ie
Further Documents:
- Read the full letter here
- Read the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom and EU rules in the field of pyrotechnic articles here
