30.11.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC313/13
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveonthesupervisionandplacingonthe
marketofexplosivesforcivilusesandthemutualrecognitionofauthorizationsandapprovals
relatingtosuchexplosives
(92/C313/06)
On4May1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon2September1992inthelight
oftheReportbyMrLittle.
Atits299thPlenarySession(meetingof23September1992)theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
mentwiththethrustoftheCommission'sproposals
subject,however,tothespecificcommentssetoutin
thisOpinion.
2.1.2.TheCommitteewelcomestheproposalfor
achievingmutualrecognitionoftheauthorizationof
explosives(forplacingonthemarket).Suchrecognition
shouldpreventrepetitivetestingforproductapproval
fromactingasanunjustifiedbarriertotrade.
2.1.3.Fullharmonization oftheauthorization of
explosiveswouldrequireharmonization ofthetestsas
tosuitability.Thisprocessmaytakeanextremelylong
timetoaccomplishinviewofthecomplexityofthe
currentlong-standing andsuccessfulnationaltesting
procedures.TheCommissionrightlyconcernsitselfat
thistimewithmutualrecognitionoftheexistingpro­
ceduressubjecttotheirmeetingessentialsafetyrequire­
ments.TheCommitteesupportstheCommission'sdefi­
nitionoftheessentialrequirementswhichmustbemet
bytheproductstested,inordertobeauthorized.The
harmonizedtestingmethods,tobeestablishedindue
course,willbepreparedonthebasisoftheserequire­
ments.1.Introduction
1.1.Byreasonofthenatureoftheproducts,the
explosivessectorofindustryisoneofthemosthighly
regulated.AllMemberStateshaveadoptedstrictlaws,
bothcivilandcriminal,coveringthelifeofexplosives
fromcradletogravesoastomeetprescribedsafety
andnationalsecurityrequirements .AtCommunitylev­
el,therearecurrentlynodirectivesspecificallydealing
withsafetyrulesforthoseproducts.
1.2.ThedraftDirectiveisbasedonArticle100Aof
theTreatywhichrequirescompletionoftheSingle
Marketbytheremovalofbarrierstotradebefore
1January1993.
1.3.TheproposedDirectivehasthreeaimsviz:
—todefineconditionsfortherecognitionbyallMem­
berStatesofauthorizations (toplaceexplosiveson
themarket)grantedbyanyotherMemberState;
—todefineconditionstocontrolphysicaltransfersof
explosives;
—toestablishabasisforfutureharmonization of
provisionsgoverningtheplacingofexplosiveson
themarket.
1.4.ThisdraftDirectiveformspartofthenew
approachtoharmonization andthetechnicaldetails
thereforecomeunderthestandardization activitiesof
theEuropeanCommitteeforStandardization (CEN)
andtheEuropeanCommitteeforElectrotechnical Stan­
dardization (Cenelec).2.1.4.TransfersofexplosivesfromoneMemberSta­
tetoanothershouldnolongerundergoroutinephysical
checkscarriedoutatthepointofentryinorderto
complywiththerequirementsofanareawithout
internalfrontiers.However,MemberStateshavearight
toincorporateintheirlawsmodifiedprovisionstomeet
safetyandnationalsecurityrequirements inrespect
ofphysicalmovementsofauthorizedexplosives.The
CommitteesupportstheproposedalternativeCom­
munitysystemofcontrols.
2.1.5.TheCommitteepointsoutthatcontrolsat
externalfrontiersoftheCommunityarenotaffected
bytheproposedDirectiveandwouldstressthecrucial
needforMemberStatestomaintaineffectivecontrols
overexplosiveswhichareintendedtocrosssuchfron­
tiers.2.CommentsontheproposedDirective
2.1.General
2.1.1.TheCommitteestronglysupportstheobjec­
tivesoftheproposedDirectiveandisingeneralagree­

NoC313/14 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 30.11.92
2.1.6.Giventhescopeforcriminalsandterroriststo
ignorethenewsystemofcontrollingintra-Community
movementsofexplosives,theCommitteewishesto
drawattentiontotheneedforenforcementbynational
securityforcesandbythepoliceofexistingnational
criminallawswhichaffectpossessionofexplosivesand
whichwillremainineffect.3.2.Article1.3
TheCommitteeproposesthefollowingchangestothe
statedexclusionsviz:
—Firstindentshouldberestrictedtoexplosivesused
underdirectmilitarycontrolorunderthedirect
controlofpoliceforces.
—Secondindentshouldbeextendedtoexcludeall
pyrotechnicals forconsumeruse.Therangeofsuch
productshasmuchwiderusesthanleisureand
displaypurposesonlyandthenatureofsuchprod­
uctsisquitedifferentfromexplosives :therisksare
muchmorelimitedandshouldbedealtwithby
separateDirectives.
—Thereshouldbean(additional)thirdindentsoas
toexcludeammunitionforciviluses.UnderCouncil
Directive91/477/EECof18June1991,ithasbeen
laiddownthatthearrangementsfortheacquisition
andpossessionofammunitionshallbethesameas
forthepossessionofthefirearmsforwhichthe
ammunition isintended.Todealwiththepro­
ceduresgoverningthetransferofsuchammunition ,
itshouldbeenactedundertheproposedDirective
thattheprovisionsofChapter3ofDirective91/477
willapply.2.2.Controlstobeestablishedbyoraffectedbythe
Directive
2.2.1.Thecradletograveregulationsgoverning
explosivesforcivilusearevariouslydescribedbygen­
erictermssuchaslicences,approvalsandauthoriz­
ations.
2.2.2.InboththeproposedArticlesandtheExplana­
toryMemorandum theuseoftheterms'authorization'
and'approval'issomewhatinconsistentandconfusing.
Furthermore ,theterm'marketingauthorization'isfre­
quentlyusedandismisleadingasmostMemberStates
donotpresentlyuseanysuchdocumentandnosuch
newdocumentisrequired.
2.2.3.TheproposedDirectivewouldhaveadirect
effectononlytwocontrolsoverexplosivesforciviluse.
Theycanbedescribedthus:
—authorizationofanexplosivescompositionwhich
canbemanufactured forsale;
—approvaltotransferexplosiveswithinaMember
StateortotransferexplosivesintoaMemberState
fromanotherMemberState.
2.2.4.TheCommitteerecommendsthatwithinthe
contextoftheDirective,'authorization'and'approval'
shouldbeascribedthemeaningsstatedabove,thatthe
twocontrolsaredefinedclearlyinArticles3and7
respectivelyandthattheyarereferredtoelsewherein
thetextoftheDirectiveonaconsistentbasis.3.3.Article1.4
Forgreaterclarity,thesecondindentshouldbe
amendedtoread:
'«Undertakingintheexplosivessector»meansany
naturalorlegalpersonwhomaylegallypossess
explosivesorengageinthemanufacture ,storage,
transfer(includingtransport)anduseofexplosives
orintradeinexplosives;'
3.4.Article2
Forclarificationandconsistencytheword'approval'
shouldbechangedto'authorization'.3.SpecificCommentsonArticles
3.1.Article1.2
TheCommitteeproposesthatthedefinitionofexplos­
ivesshouldbemorepreciselydefinedbyaddingthe
followingattheendoftheexistingtext'andasincor­
poratedintheADR/RIDandICAO/IMORegu­
lations'(*).3.5.Article3
3.5.1.InmostMemberStates,beforeanexplosives
formulationcanbemanufactured forsale,itsphysical
andchemicalcompositionmustbesubmittedtothe
appropriategovernmentalbodyforevaluation .Ifthe
explosivesatisfiesappropriatetests,itisaddedtoalist
ofauthorizedexplosivesandistheneligibletobesold.
Thisprocessconstitutesasinglecontrol.
3.5.2.Itisconfusingandinconsistentforthepro­
posedDirectivetoreferto'approvalofexplosives'in
Article3andto'mutualrecognitionofauthorizations '
inArticle4whenbothrelatetothesinglecontrol
describedabove.(x)ADR—Europeanagreementconcerningthecarriageof
dangerousgoodsbyroad
RID—Internationalregulationconcerningthetransportof
goodsbyrail
ICAO—International CivilAviationOrganization
IMO—InternationalMaritimeOrganization (formerly
IMCO-InternationalMaritimeCoordinationOrganization ).

30.11.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC313/15
isoftheviewthattheproposedDirectivefailstomake
itsufficientlyclearthatanewCommunity-wide control
willbeestablished .Itisrecommended thataclear
definitionofthiscontrolisgivenbyaddingthefollow­
ingtoparagraph1ofArticle7:
'Inordertoenablethenecessarysupervisionand
controlofthephysicalmovementsofexplosivesto
takeplace,anapprovaloftransfershallbeobtained
fromthecompetentauthoritiesintheMember
Statestowhichtheexplosivesaretobetransferred
orthroughwhichtheyaretotransitwithinthe
Community .
Theformofapprovaltobeobtainedwillbein
accordancewitheitherparagraph2orparagraph3
ofthisArticleasisappropriate.'
3.7.2.Article7.3
TheCommitteesuggeststhat,forthesakeofclarity,
intheintroductoryclausetheword'safety'isreplaced
bythewords'nationalsecurity'andthattheword
'additional'isinsertedbeforetheword'information'.
Itisfurthersuggestedthat,inadditiontotheinfor­
mationlistedinthisArticleoftheproposedDirective,
theenterpriseinquestionshouldberequiredtostate
thetrans-frontierrouteproposedtobetakenbythe
shipmentor,alternatively,optionalrouteswhichmay
betakenandthattheMemberStatewouldhavethe
righttorequireafirmnotification,immediatelybefore
thetransfercommences,oftheroutetobeused.3.5.3.TheCommitteeproposesthatArticle3should
beamendedsothatthissinglecontrolisdefinedas
follows:
'Authorization ofexplosives
MemberStatesshallensurethattheplacingof
explosivesonthemarketissubjecttoauthorization
oftheproduct,substancesorpreparation .Such
authorizations shallbegrantedonlywherethe
explosivesatisfiestheessentialsafetyrequirements
aimedatensuringthesafetyandhealthofpersons
andtheprotectionofproperty.Testsshallbecarried
outtothesatisfactionofthecompetentauthority
todemonstratecompliancewiththeessentialsafety
requirements .Suchtestsshallbecarriedoutwithin
theECinalaboratoryapprovedbythecompetent
authorityandregisteredwiththeECorinaccord­
ancewithproceduresprovidingguaranteessimilar
tothosethatwouldbeprovidedbyanapproved
laboratory.'
Itisessentialtodefinestringentlytheframeworkfor
approvedtestingproceduresbearinginmindtheposs­
ibleexpansionoftheCommunity .
3.6.Article4
Forclarity,thetextshouldbeamendedthus:
'Authorizations (toplaceexplosivesonthemarket)
whichhavebeengrantedinaMemberStatepursu­
anttothisDirectiveshallbeacceptedbytheother
MemberStatesasauthorizations ,withinthemean­
ingofArticle3,whicharevalidwithintheirterri­
tories.'
3.7.Article7
3.7.1.Article7.1
TheCommitteefullysupportstheCommission'spro­
posalforanalternativesystemtobordercontrolsbut3.7.3.Article7.4
Therequirementsstatedhereshouldbeincorporated
inArticle7.3.
DoneatBrussels,23September1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH