Fox in a cage at a fur farm

It's Time to Close Fur Farms for Good!

The EU must listen to our voices – more than 1.5 million ask for a Fur Free Europe

14.6.2023

Millions of innocent animals live locked up in tiny cages only to be brutally killed for their fur. In May 2022, the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) #FurFreeEurope petition was launched and received the support of more than eighty European organisations. 

It closed on March 1st, because in less than ten months over 1.7 million signatures were collected for a #FurFreeEurope. Formal requirements of an ECI are to collect one million signatures and reach signature thresholds in at least 7 member states.

In June 2023, the official validation process was completed, and it is certain: Fur Free Europe represents the most successful ECI for animal welfare, while being the third most successful overall!

More than 1.5 million EU citizens ask for a Fur Free Europe! The ECI also reached national thresholds in 18 member states.

What’s next?

The ECI organisers will now meet with the European Commission and then attend a public hearing at the European Parliament, after which the European Commission has to publicly respond to the initiative, before the end of the year. 

Over the next months, FOUR PAWS and other animal welfare groups will do everything we can to ensure that a fur farming and sales ban will be included into EU animal welfare legislation.

Why over 1.5 million citizens signed to ban fur for good

The reality of fur farms in Europe

  • UNACCEPTABLE: The living conditions of innocent wild animals, such as raccoon dogs, foxes and mink, farmed for fur are horrific. They stand no chance, kept in tiny cages and brutally killed for their fur. Let’s call on the EU not only to ban fur farming, but also ban sales of farmed fur in Europe.
  • UNSAFE: Fur farms pose a risk to animal and human health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of mink farms experienced coronavirus outbreaks, and new variants of the virus were transmitted to humans from animals. This can happen again if we don’t stop it!
  • UNSUSTAINABLE: Fur farming has a big environmental impact and poses a severe threat to our planet. Producing fur involves using toxic chemicals. In terms of land pollution by toxic metals, fur dressing and dyeing is ranked in the top five highest pollution-intensity industries.

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Minks in a cage at a fur farm

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