FINLAND: FIREWORKS AMENDMENT The following notification has been received in Gatt document TBT/Notification G/95.197 dated 29 June 1995. 1. Member to Agreement notifying: Finland. If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2). 2. Agency Responsible: Ministry of Trade and Industry. 3. Notified under Article 2.9.2. 4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Fireworks. 5. Title and number of pages of the notified document: Amendment to explosives decree (Available in Finnish, 2 pages). 6. Description of Content: The proposal contains following amendments to current text of explosives decree: Fireworks containing reporting charge that is larger than 0.05 G are banned. However, fireworks that have been manufactured in Finland or imported to Finland before the first of October 1995, are excluded. The age limits for buying fireworks will be amended to be 12 and 18 years instead of current 12, 15 and 18 years. The decision concerning the age limit for a given product is made during the approval procedure by the technical inspection centre. Retail of fireworks is forbidden from 1 December to 26 December. In this time the selling of fireworks to public is possible only when the buyer has written permit, obtained from the local fire and rescue authorities, to use fireworks for a specific event. The storage of fireworks in connection with the retail shall be notified to the local fire and rescue authorities at least two months before the intended activity. The notification shall include information concerning the location of the storage facilities and construction of the magazines. 7. Objective and rationale: Protection of consumers, especially children, protection of environment. 8. Relevant Documents: The decree will be published in the statutes of Finland. 9.Proposed date of adoption and entry into force: 1 October 1995. 10. Final date for comments: 28 August 1995. (200)

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