Import, export, production and sale of pyrotechnic products in Georgia will be allowed on the basis of a special permit/license.

A number of new regulations, prohibitions, norms of administrative and criminal liability regarding pyrotechnics are introduced, part of which is planned to be implemented from February 1, 2025, part will come into force from April 1. One of the prohibitions is that the demonstrator will not have the right to possess pyrotechnics during the demonstration, and the list of prohibited items will include: - firearms, explosives, flammable, radioactive substances and cold weapons, pyrotechnic articles will also be added.

The package of legislative changes has already been initiated in the Parliament. The project was prepared by "Georgian Dream" deputies. It will be considered and accepted in an accelerated manner this week.

According to the project, the permit for the import, export, production and sale of pyrotechnic products will be issued by the Agency of State Reserves and Civil Security Services, which is part of the management of the Emergency Situations Management Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

By February 1, 2025, the government will adopt a technical regulation on the rules and conditions for placing pyrotechnic products on the market with the legislative package submitted to the parliament. Also, they will approve the rules and conditions for issuing a permit/license for the purpose of import, export, production and sale of pyrotechnic products.

It should be noted that only a person with specialized knowledge defined by the technical regulations will be authorized to purchase and use pyrotechnics of a separate category, and the certificate of knowledge confirmation will be issued by the State Reserves and Civil Security Services Agency.

A transitional period will be established for those individuals and legal entities that import, export, manufacture and sell pyrotechnic products before the law comes into effect. In particular, they will be required to ensure compliance of their activities with the requirements of the technical regulation on the rules and conditions for placing pyrotechnic products on the market until March 1, 2025. Also, by March 1, 2025, they should apply to the agency for obtaining a permit/license for the import, export, production and sale of pyrotechnic products.

Taking into account the legislative package, the fee for the permit for the production, sale, import and export of pyrotechnic products is determined in the amount of 200-200 GEL. In addition, the fee for issuing a permit within 20 working days will be 500 GEL, and within 10 working days it will be 1,000 GEL.

As for the expected responsibility for violating the law, new articles will be added to the "Code of Administrative Offenses" and the "Code of Criminal Law".

According to the project presented in the parliament, import, export, production and sale of pyrotechnic products without the permission/license stipulated by the law will be punishable and will result in a fine of 5,000 GEL. As a sanction, payment of a fine of 6,000 GEL is stipulated for the repetition of the mentioned action. Confiscation of the object of the offense may be used as a sanction.

Taking into account the same project, a new type of offense is violation of permit/license conditions for import, export, production and sale of pyrotechnic products, which will result in a person being fined in the amount of 2,000 GEL. In this case, confiscation of the object of the offense may be used as a sanction.

In addition, regardless of the imposition of responsibility for the violation of the permit/license conditions for the import, export, production or sale of pyrotechnic products, the failure of the permit/license holder to comply with the permit/license conditions within the established period will result in the tripling of the fine provided for the first commission of the act, and the repeated failure to comply with the permit/license conditions within the established period will result in cancellation of permit/license.

Administrative legal liability is established for violation of the rule of sale of pyrotechnic products. In particular, the sale of pyrotechnic products to a person who does not have the right to own/use them according to the law, will result in a fine of 2,000 GEL, and as a sanction, a fine of 3,000 GEL will also be imposed for repeated acts specified in the statute.

The purchase, possession or use of pyrotechnic products by a person who, according to the law, will not have the right to purchase, possess and use them will be punishable. The mentioned action will result in a person being fined in the amount of 1,000 GEL, and the amount of the fine for a repeated offense is 2,000 GEL.

In addition, violation of the rules of registration, storage, transportation or use of explosive, easily flammable, hot substances or pyrotechnic articles, as well as their illegal sending by mail or baggage, which will lead to serious consequences, shall be punished by a fine or house arrest for a period of six months to two years. or imprisonment for a term of two to five years.

The author and initiator of the legislative package are the representatives of "Georgian Dream": - Rati Ionatamishvili, Aleksandre Tabatadze, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, Nino Tsilosani, Aluda Ghudushauri, Irakli Shatakishvili, Guram Macharashvili.