Animal Policy International Urges Ban on Fur Farming and Imports in the EU
- rainer802
- 2 days ago
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Our submission to the European Commission's call for evidence on the Fur Free Europe initiative highlights animal welfare concerns and legal pathways for EU-wide action
Animal Policy International has submitted comprehensive evidence to the European Commission supporting the Fur Free Europe initiative, calling for an EU-wide ban on fur farming and the importation of all farmed fur products.
This submission follows the European Citizens' Initiative signed by over 1.5 million people in 2023, demonstrating the overwhelming public demand to end the cruel and outdated practice of fur farming across Europe.
EFSA Confirms: Fur Farming Causes Systemic Animal Suffering
Our evidence-based submission references the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) 2025 own scientific opinion that conclusively determined fur farming systems across the EU fundamentally fail to meet the basic welfare needs of animals including mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, and chinchillas.
The EFSA research identified severe welfare problems inherent to fur farming that cannot be addressed through regulatory improvements:
Extreme confinement: Cages of insufficient size with barren conditions severely restricting natural movement
Behavioural deprivation: Animals unable to express essential natural behaviors critical to their species
Psychological distress: Widespread abnormal behaviors indicating severe mental suffering
Physical injuries:Â Stress-induced aggression, injuries, lameness, and skeletal deformities
Europe Leading Global Fur Farming Bans
The momentum for fur farming bans has accelerated across Europe and globally:
22 European countries have already banned fur farming on ethical grounds
16 EU Member States have implemented national bans
Switzerland, Israel, and California have banned marketing, sale or importation of fur products
The United States has banned cat and dog fur imports
This growing international consensus reflects a fundamental shift in public ethics regarding animal welfare and the use of animals solely for fur products.
WTO-Compatible: Legal Pathway for EU Fur Import Ban
Our submission provides a detailed legal analysis demonstrating that restricting fur imports based on production methods is fully compatible with WTO obligations when properly structured.
The EU has established clear precedent for animal welfare-based import restrictions:
Regulation (EC) No 1523/2007:Â Banned import and marketing of cat and dog fur
Regulation (EC) No 1007/2009:Â Prohibited placing seal products (including fur) on the EU market
Regulation (EU) 2019/625:Â Permits meat imports only from countries meeting EU-equivalent animal welfare standards
The WTO Appellate Body has expressly accepted in the EU Seal Products case that animal welfare measures can be justified under the public morals exception (GATT Article XX(a)).
EU Citizens Demand Higher Animal Welfare Standards, Including from Imports
Recent polling demonstrates overwhelming public support for consistent animal welfare standards:
76% of EU consumers believe animal product imports should meet the same welfare standards as EU-produced goods (European Consumer Organisation, 2024)
93% of EU citizens expect imported animal products to meet EU animal welfare standards (Eurobarometer)
Without comprehensive import restrictions, domestic fur farming bans will be undermined by continued imports of fur products produced under cruel conditions in third countries, contradicting EU citizens' moral expectations.
Animal Policy International's Policy Recommendation
We recommend the European Commission implement a comprehensive approach:
Complete EU-wide fur farming ban covering all fur-bearing species
Ban on placement of farmed fur products on the European market, regardless of origin
Conclusion: the EU Must Lead on Animal Welfare
The European Union has a historic opportunity to demonstrate global leadership in animal welfare by implementing a comprehensive ban on fur farming and imports. Such action would be:
Scientifically justified based on EFSA's findings of systemic suffering
Legally sound under WTO law and existing EU precedents
Morally imperative given overwhelming EU citizen support
Economically viable as alternatives to fur continue to develop
Animal Policy International urges the Commission to act decisively on the Fur Free Europe initiative by implementing both a complete ban on fur farming and comprehensive restrictions on the importation of fur products.
📄 Read our full submission here.