Portugal has begun fining cruisers who upon vessel inspection are discovered to have expired flares, fire extinguishers and life rafts. If you don't have an item that is not required such as a liferaft, you're fine. But if have a liferaft even though it is not required, and it is out of date, you can be fined. Also, they are intensively policing adherence to COLREGS (black ball, white light when anchored, cone underway when sails up and motoring, etc) There is a useful discussion here: http://liveinfo.lagosnavigators.net/httpdocs/bureaucracy/application-to-visiting-yachtsmen/

Vice Commodore, OCC 

Hi Richard,
Can you give the details of the bad experiences with out of date flares, in particular the serious injury you reported. I would most appreciate a citation of a write up, article, or injury report as well as any details you might remember: what kind of pyrotechnic device, how out of date, manufacturer , was it SOLAS certified at manufacture, how stored, where occurred, etc.
Thanks a lot. Field reports of this type are very valuably.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy