Library:Fur Free Europe: Why We Need to Ban Fur Farming and the Placement of Farmed Fur Products on the European Market (report)
Fur Free Europe: Why We Need to Ban Fur Farming and the Placement of Farmed Fur Products on the European Market is a report published by Fur Free Europe, a coalition of animal protection organisations that campaigns for an end to fur farming and trade in the European Union. The report presents arguments from public health, legal, environmental and ethical perspectives to support a ban on fur farming and the placement of farmed fur products on the European market.
Summary
The report covers the following topics:
- The animals (the welfare case): The report describes the natural behaviour and needs of the main species kept and killed for fur in Europe, such as mink, foxes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas, and contrasts them with the conditions they face on fur farms. It also explains the methods of killing used in the fur industry and their impact on animal welfare.
- The veterinary public health risk: The report reviews the scientific evidence linking fur farming to the transmission and mutation of zoonotic diseases, such as SARS-CoV-2, which can pose a threat to human health and animal health. It also highlights the use of antibiotics on fur farms and the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
- The environmental impact of fur farming: The report analyses the negative effects of fur farming on biodiversity, climate change, water pollution, air quality and human health. It also challenges the claims of the fur industry that fur is a natural and sustainable product, and compares it with alternative materials.
- Levelling the playing field (the economic case): The report examines the economic aspects of fur farming and trade in the EU, such as production, consumption, employment, subsidies and trade barriers. It also discusses the impact of existing bans or restrictions on fur farming in some Member States and the need for harmonisation at EU level.
- How do we get there? The legal approach and added value of EU-level action: The report explores the legal basis and instruments for enacting a ban on fur farming and trade in the EU, such as Article 13 TFEU, Article 114 TFEU, Article 36 TFEU and WTO rules. It also refers to relevant precedents, such as the ban on seal products and the End the Cage Age initiative, and argues for the coherence and added value of EU action.
Conclusions
The report concludes that fur farming and trade are incompatible with the EU’s values and objectives on animal welfare, public health, environmental protection and sustainable development. It calls for a comprehensive ban on both the production and sale of farmed fur within the EU, as well as a ban on imports from third countries that do not comply with EU standards. It urges the European Commission to seize the opportunity of the upcoming revision of the animal welfare legislation to make fur history in Europe.
See also
References
- Full report Europgroup for Animals