The Fur Free Europe ECI has asked the EU to forbid the breeding of animals for fur as well as marketing of products coming from fur farms, because fur is against ethics, dangerous, and not sustainable:
- The complex behavioural needs of wild animals cannot be met in fur farms: locking them up in small cages for the sole purpose of killing them, or primarily for the value of their fur, cannot be made legal for domestic species either.
- Fur farms represent a risk to human and animal health, as proven by the COVID-19 pandemic, when hundreds of mink farms were affected by the coronavirus outbreak and new variants of the virus were passed from animals to humans.
- Breeding animals for fur has a significant environmental impact as the treatment and dying of fur requires the use of toxic chemical products. In terms of soil pollution from toxic metals, fur production is classified among the five most polluting industries.
- The fur industry also constitutes a serious threat for native biodiversity. Certain farmed species, such as American mink and raccoon dogs, have escaped fur farms and are now considered as an exotic invasive species causing significant damage to native European wildlife.
During a meeting of the European Union Council (Agriculture and Fisheries), the Netherlands and Austria filed an information note, supported by Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and Slovakia, requesting that the European Commission forbids breeding animals for fur. The appeal to put an end to breeding animals for fur in the EU for animal welfare, public health, and ethical consideration reasons has been supported by a total of twelve member states during deliberations on the document.
The Fur Free Europe ECI was officially registered by the European Commission on 16/03/2022 and will run from 18/05/2022 for one year.
Comments 3
Sam Gelle | Saturday 18 February 2023
Sara | Friday 05 August 2022
David | Thursday 19 May 2022