Vienna/Zurich, 30 May 2025 – Last Wednesday, the Swiss Federal Council adopted an enactment prohibiting the import of fur products and fur obtained through methods that involve cruelty to animals. Global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS welcomes this landmark decision of Switzerland - the first country in Europe to enact such a law - but urges to include fur of any origin in this ban. Exempt from the import ban is e.g. the use of traps that are designed to kill instantly (conibear traps) used to catch animals in the wild. The ban will come into force on 1 July 2025 with a two-year transition period.

Fur in decline for years

The fur industry is in deep crisis, with worldwide fur production declining by 85 percent between 2013 and 2023. Israel was the first country in the world to ban the sale of fur. In the United States, California and cities in Massachusetts, Michigan and Florida have already passed laws prohibiting the sale of real fur. Switzerland's import ban will continue to reduce demand for fur products and thus also limit the risks to public health and the environment associated with fur farms.

“Despite these shortcomings, the Swiss government's decision sends a clear signal to other European countries and the European Union. The EU is currently considering a ban on fur farming and a ban on the trade in fur products, at least from farmed animals. Switzerland is showing the way forward for modern animal welfare, and we call on the European Commission to follow the Swiss example,” concludes Pietsch.