2025-04-022024/25:FöU4 · p.13FöUDefence

Explosives, Fireworks and Blasting

Tighter regulation of fireworks and explosives

What's at stake: Fireworks cause fire and personal injuries every year that burden healthcare and emergency services, while explosives are linked to serious crime. The decision affects how easily the public can buy and use fireworks, and how society works against the illegal use of explosive materials.

Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.

What the vote decides

The question is whether the sale of fireworks to the public should be banned and their use reserved for trained pyrotechnicians, or whether the committee - which considers existing legislation to already provide sufficient means to restrict and intervene - should reject the motions.

Yes Yes — the committee proposal

The committee rejects the motions on explosives and fireworks. It points out that a national permit register for explosive substances has already been introduced and that preparatory acts violating the permit requirement have been criminalized, and considers that existing legislation already provides sufficient means to restrict and intervene in private individuals' use of fireworks.

No No — the reservations

Reservation 23 (V)

The reservation (V) wants only trained pyrotechnicians to be allowed to set off fireworks and for sales to the public to be banned, pointing to the personal injuries and fires that fireworks cause every year.

Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.

VSMPCLKDMSD
YesNoAbstainAbsent

What do the votes mean here?

Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).

No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 23 by V.

Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.

What each plan points to — and how the party voted

For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.

PlanVoteConfidenceEvidence
Vown reservationNoNo 0/20/0/4follows the planconfidence: lownot addressed
SNoAbstain 0/0/93/13departs from the planconfidence: lownot addressed
MPNoAbstain 0/0/16/2departs from the planconfidence: lownot addressed
CYesYes 20/0/0/4follows the planconfidence: lownot addressed
LYesYes 13/0/0/3follows the planconfidence: lownot addressed
KDNoYes 17/0/0/2departs from the planconfidence: lownot addressed
MYesYes 60/0/0/8follows the planconfidence: lownot addressed
SDYesYes 62/0/0/10follows the planconfidence: mediumnot addressed

Committee proposal

The Riksdag rejects the motions 2024/25:194 by Hanna Gunnarsson et al. (V), 2024/25:265 by Ingela Nylund Watz (S), 2024/25:1178 by Torsten Elofsson (KD), 2024/25:1768 by Paula Örn et al. (S), 2024/25:2168 by Teresa Carvalho et al. (S), and 2024/25:3023 by Peter Hultqvist et al. (S) items 56 and 57.

Original (Swedish)

Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:194 av Hanna Gunnarsson m.fl. (V), 2024/25:265 av Ingela Nylund Watz (S), 2024/25:1178 av Torsten Elofsson (KD), 2024/25:1768 av Paula Örn m.fl. (S), 2024/25:2168 av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S) och 2024/25:3023 av Peter Hultqvist m.fl. (S) yrkandena 56 och 57.

Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 100 proposals concerning society's crisis preparedness in motions from the 2024 general motion period. The proposals concern, for example, crisis preparedness, cybersecurity, radiation safety and disaster protection. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to the fact that work is already underway within the areas covered by the proposals.

Counter-proposals

Plan vs actual vote

Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.

VVänsterpartietNoNofollows the plannot addressed

The plan says nothing about fireworks, but advocates restrictive regulation of harmful goods with the Systembolaget as a model and establishes that no one should have to be subjected to crime.

Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto

Reasoning and quotes

The plan says nothing about fireworks, but advocates restrictive regulation of harmful goods with the Systembolaget as a model and establishes that no one should have to be subjected to crime. It also wants to limit access to dangerous items in society. Restricting fireworks to trained pyrotechnicians comes closest to that line.

Original (Swedish)

Planen säger inget om fyrverkerier, men förordar restriktiv reglering av skadliga varor med Systembolaget som förebild och slår fast att ingen människa ska behöva utsättas för brott. Den vill också begränsa tillgången till farliga föremål i samhället. Att begränsa fyrverkerier till utbildade pyrotekniker ligger närmast den linjen.

  • restrictive regulation of harmful goodsdecisive»Vi vill se en restriktiv reglering av alkohol och tobak.« (party programme ↗)“We want to see restrictive regulation of alcohol and tobacco.”
  • protection against harm and crime»Ingen människa ska behöva utsättas för brott.« (party programme ↗)“No one should have to be subjected to crime.”
  • limited access to dangerous items»kamp mot tillgången till illegala skjutvapen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“fight against access to illegal firearms”
SSocialdemokraternaNoAbstaindeparts from the plannot addressed

The documents say nothing about fireworks or trade in pyrotechnic goods.

Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme

Reasoning and quotes

The documents say nothing about fireworks or trade in pyrotechnic goods. The closest principle is that the fight against crime and violence shall be uncompromising and that safety on streets and squares is part of welfare policy, which argues for restricting the public's access to explosives and fireworks. The conclusion is based solely on these general commitments.

Original (Swedish)

Dokumenten säger ingenting om fyrverkerier eller handel med pyrotekniska varor. Närmast liggande princip är att kampen mot kriminaliteten och våldet ska vara kompromisslös och att tryggheten på gator och torg hör till välfärdspolitiken, vilket talar för att begränsa allmänhetens tillgång till sprängmedel och fyrverkerier. Slutsatsen bygger enbart på dessa allmänna åtaganden.

  • uncompromising crime-fightingdecisive»Kampen mot kriminaliteten ska vara kompromisslös.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The fight against crime shall be uncompromising.”
  • safety as a welfare issue»Till välfärdspolitiken hör också tryggheten på gator och torg och i det egna hemmet.« (party programme ↗)“Safety on streets and squares and in the home is also part of welfare policy.”
  • tougher action on weapons offences»Vi vill fördubbla straffet för grova vapenbrott.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to double the sentence for serious weapons offences.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

MPMiljöpartietNoAbstaindeparts from the plannot addressed

The plan does not address fireworks. The nearest principle is that what is excessively harmful should be prohibited, together with the precautionary…

Plan documents: party programme

Reasoning and quotes

The plan does not address fireworks. The nearest principle is that what is excessively harmful should be prohibited, together with the precautionary principle and animals' right to avoid unnecessary suffering, which argues for limiting sales to the public and restricting use to trained pyrotechnicians. The position is therefore inferred and uncertain.

Original (Swedish)

Planen behandlar inte fyrverkerier. Närmast liggande princip är att det som är alltför skadligt ska förbjudas, tillsammans med försiktighetsprincipen och djurens rätt att slippa onödigt lidande, vilket talar för att försäljning till allmänheten begränsas och användningen förbehålls utbildade pyrotekniker. Ställningstagandet är därför härlett och osäkert.

  • prohibit the excessively harmfuldecisive»det som är alltför skadligt ska förbjudas.« (party programme ↗)“what is excessively harmful should be prohibited.”
  • the precautionary principle»ska försiktighetsprincipen tillämpas så långt det är« (party programme ↗)“the precautionary principle shall be applied as far as it”
  • animals' intrinsic value»Alla djur har ett egenvärde oavsett deras nyttighet« (party programme ↗)“All animals have intrinsic value regardless of their usefulness”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

CCenterpartietYesYesfollows the plannot addressed

The plan documents do not address fireworks or pyrotechnics.

Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme

Reasoning and quotes

The plan documents do not address fireworks or pyrotechnics. The nearest principle is the plan's libertarian starting point that people should decide more over their own lives and that freedom can only be limited by regard for others' equal right to freedom, and that the state should avoid over-regulating. A prohibition against all sales to the public is a far-reaching restriction of individuals' choices. Based on that principle, the plan rejects the demand.

Original (Swedish)

Plandokumenten behandlar inte fyrverkerier eller pyroteknik. Närmast liggande princip är planens frihetliga utgångspunkt att människor ska bestämma mer över sina egna liv och att friheten bara får begränsas av hänsyn till andras lika rätt till frihet, samt att staten ska undvika att genomreglera. Ett förbud mot all försäljning till allmänheten är en långtgående inskränkning av enskildas val. Utifrån den principen avvisar planen kravet.

  • freer Sweden, more self-determinationdecisive»Centerpartiet kommer alltid att kämpa för ett friare Sverige där människor kan bestämma mer över sina egna liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Centre Party will always fight for a freer Sweden where people can decide more over their own lives.”
  • freedom to make one's own choices»Alla ska kunna bestämma över sina egna liv genom egna och fria val.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone should be able to decide over their own lives through their own and free choices.”
  • freedom limited by others' freedom»En människas frihet kan i grunden endast begränsas av hänsyn till andra människors lika rätt till frihet.« (party programme ↗)“A person's freedom can fundamentally only be limited by regard for other people's equal right to freedom.”
  • the state should not over-regulate»Centerpartiets uppgift är att se till att staten gör det den är till för, så effektivt och rättssäkert som möjligt« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party's task is to ensure the state does what it is for, as efficiently and with legal security as possible”
LLiberalernaYesYesfollows the plannot addressed

The plan does not address fireworks. The closest principle is the clear boundary for public power and scepticism toward increased public power…

Plan documents: party programme

Reasoning and quotes

The plan does not address fireworks. The closest principle is the clear boundary for public power and scepticism toward increased public power claims, which argues against a general prohibition on sales to the public and a professional monopoly on use. The basis is weak and the conclusion therefore uncertain.

Original (Swedish)

Planen behandlar inte fyrverkerier. Närmast liggande princip är den tydliga gränsen för den offentliga makten och skepsisen mot ökade offentliga maktanspråk, som talar emot ett generellt förbud mot försäljning till allmänheten och ett yrkesmonopol på användning. Underlaget är svagt och slutsatsen därför osäker.

  • limited public powerdecisive»Liberalismen sätter en tydlig gräns för den offentliga makten.« (party programme ↗)“Liberalism sets a clear boundary for public power.”
  • scepticism toward power claims»sund skepsis mot ökade offentliga maktanspråk« (party programme ↗)“sound scepticism toward increased public power claims”
  • tolerance for different ways of living»I det liberala samhället råder respekt och tolerans för olika sätt att leva.« (party programme ↗)“In the liberal society there is respect and tolerance for different ways of living.”
KDKristdemokraternaNoYesdeparts from the plannot addressed

The plan requires society to protect people's lives, freedom and property and states that violations of others' integrity and property can never be tolerated; personal injury and fire damage from fireworks fall within this.

Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto

Reasoning and quotes

The plan requires society to protect people's lives, freedom and property and states that violations of others' integrity and property can never be tolerated; personal injury and fire damage from fireworks fall within this. Moderation as a virtue means that reason should prevail over excessive desires. However, the plan says nothing about fireworks, which is why the certainty is low.

Original (Swedish)

Planen ålägger samhället att skydda människors liv, frihet och egendom och slår fast att kränkningar av medmänniskors integritet och egendom aldrig kan tolereras; person- och brandskador av fyrverkerier faller inom detta. Måttfullhet som dygd innebär att förnuftet bör råda över vidlyftiga önskningar. Planen säger dock inget om fyrverkerier, varför säkerheten är låg.

  • protect lives and propertydecisive»skyddar människors liv, frihet och egendom.« (party programme ↗)“protects people's lives, freedom and property.”
  • no violations tolerated»Övergrepp och kränkningar av medmänniskors integritet och egendom kan aldrig« (party programme ↗)“Abuse and violations of others' integrity and property can never”
  • restore safety»Tryggheten på gator och torg måste återupprättas, brottsförebyggande arbetet måste stärkas, brottslingar dömas och brottsoffer få upprättelse.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Safety on streets and squares must be restored, crime prevention work must be strengthened, criminals sentenced and crime victims receive redress.”
  • moderation as a virtue»Måttfullhet innebär att förnuftet bör råda över alltför vidlyftiga« (party programme ↗)“Moderation means that reason should prevail over excessive”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

MModeraternaYesYesfollows the plannot addressed

The counter-proposal demands that only trained pyrotechnicians be allowed to set off fireworks and that sales to the public be prohibited.

Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme

Reasoning and quotes

The counter-proposal demands that only trained pyrotechnicians be allowed to set off fireworks and that sales to the public be prohibited. The plan does not address fireworks, but its stance against prohibitions that affect ordinary people's everyday choices is clear, and freedom shall remain large even for what many regard as inappropriate. The plan's tightenings are aimed at gang explosions, not at consumers. The plan therefore rejects the demand.

Original (Swedish)

Motförslaget kräver att endast utbildade pyrotekniker får skjuta fyrverkerier och att försäljning till allmänheten förbjuds. Planen behandlar inte fyrverkerier, men dess hållning mot förbud som träffar vanliga människors vardagsval är tydlig, och friheten ska förbli stor även för det många uppfattar som olämpligt. Planens skärpningar riktas mot gängens sprängningar, inte mot konsumenter. Planen avvisar därför kravet.

  • no bans on everyday choicesdecisive»Där miljöbovar betalar för sig, men du kan unna dig en plastpåse när du veckohandlar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Where environmental villains pay their way, but you can treat yourself to a plastic bag when you do your weekly shopping.”
  • large personal freedom»I Sverige är friheten stor och ska så förbli.« (party programme ↗)“In Sweden, freedom is great and shall remain so.”
  • action against criminal explosions»Vi ska stoppa gängvåldet, skjutningarna och sprängningarna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall stop gang violence, shootings and explosions”
SDSverigedemokraternaYesYesfollows the plannot addressed

The plan explicitly turns against measures that should be directed at illegal weapons and gang crime being directed instead at law-abiding gun owners, and wants to stop the campaign against legal gun owners.

Plan documents: 2022 manifesto

Reasoning and quotes

The plan explicitly turns against measures that should be directed at illegal weapons and gang crime being directed instead at law-abiding gun owners, and wants to stop the campaign against legal gun owners. A sales ban on the public and requirements for trained pyrotechnicians hit law-abiding citizens the same way. The plan's way is instead zero tolerance and toughened penalties against those who abuse explosives.

Original (Swedish)

Planen vänder sig uttryckligen mot att åtgärder som borde riktas mot illegala vapen och gängbrottslighet i stället riktas mot laglydiga innehavare, och vill stoppa hetsjakten på legala vapeninnehavare. Ett försäljningsförbud mot allmänheten och krav på utbildad pyrotekniker träffar på samma sätt laglydiga medborgare. Planens väg är i stället nolltolerans och skärpta straff mot dem som missbrukar sprängmedel.

  • measures against illegal, not legaldecisive»Samtidigt har politiska åtgärder som borde riktats mot illegala vapen och gängbrottslighet istället riktats mot legalt vapeninnehav, svenska jägare och sportskyttar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time, political measures that should be directed at illegal weapons and gang crime have instead been directed at legal gun ownership, Swedish hunters and sport shooters.”
  • value law-abiding owners»Stoppa hetsjakten på jägare och legala vapeninnehavare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop the campaign against hunters and legal gun owners”
  • zero tolerance for crime»Införa nolltolerans mot brott så att även mindre allvarliga brott utreds och lagförs« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce zero tolerance for crime so that even less serious offences are investigated and prosecuted”
  • tightened penalties for gangs»Kraftigt höja straffen för gängkriminella« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Significantly raise sentences for gang criminals”

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Sources and documents

Documents under consideration

Source: The Swedish Parliament