Lesli’s Leo Groeneveld on the fireworks ban and compensation

Leo Groeneveld of fireworks importer Lesli responded in May 2026 to the government’s plan to allocate €100 million in compensation to the fireworks industry. He considers fair distribution particularly important.

Is €100 million enough?

Groeneveld said he could not assess whether the proposed amount would be sufficient. He stressed that the impact of the ban differs between businesses.

For some retailers, fireworks account for a small proportion of turnover, while others depend on them much more heavily.

A tailored approach for shops and importers

Groeneveld believes compensation should reflect those differences. For importers, staff, business premises and previous investments also matter.

Remaining critical of the ban

Groeneveld continued to doubt the effectiveness of the fireworks ban while saying he accepted the democratic decision.

His response therefore does not mean he supports the ban or unreservedly considers the proposed compensation sufficient.

This article describes a response from May 2026 and does not provide current compensation conditions.