New Report: Fur Farming Ban Would Be Cheaper for EU Taxpayers Than Raising Keeping Standards for Foxes & Co.

• Today, a new economic report Pay to stay or pay to go is published showing that within a five-year transition period, an EU-wide fur farming ban is estimated to cost around €144 million, compared with €201 million to €920 million for the implementation of stricter animal welfare standards, depending on the standards introduced
• The new findings come as the European Commission considers its response to the Fur Free Europe European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), in which 1.5 million EU citizens called for a ban on fur farming and the placing of fur products on the EU market

Vienna/Brussels, 23 September 2026 – Today, only five Member States still farm fur animals without a comprehensive ban or phase-out: Denmark, Finland, Greece, Spain and Hungary. The report highlights that an EU-wide phase-out would represent a one-off transition cost, rather than the continuous costs associated with maintaining fur production under new standards. If the EU chooses to introduce 'higher' welfare standards, public money would be required not only to support their implementation, but also to sustain an industry that already imposes high wider costs. Previous research estimates these wider costs on society at roughly €446 million annually in harms from pollution, resource use, local disamenity, and invasive alien species.

New standards would continue animal suffering on fur farms

The report assesses two benchmarks for stricter animal welfare standards: a consultancy-based scenario or an Ecorys-based scenario, and a German-level scenario. The report notes that neither would fully address the welfare concerns identified by EFSA’s scientific opinion, which concluded that changing standards cannot resolve the fundamental welfare problems associated with keeping wild animals in cage-based systems. The higher but still insufficient German-level standards would be considerably more costly for the public, at around €920 million, assuming public authorities cover 40% of the costs.

Balancing animal welfare and costs

The report finds that a five-year phase-out offers a balanced and cost-effective pathway, allowing farmers time to transition while reducing compensation costs to around €144 million, compared with €591 million for an immediate ban. It would also address animal welfare concerns much sooner than an 8-10 year transition and at a far lower cost than maintaining fur production under stricter welfare standards.

Background on the report

This report compares the public-budget costs of the EU's fur policy options, estimating compensation for fur farmers under a production ban and public support needed for compliance with stricter animal welfare standards. It focuses solely on costs to governments and does not assess broader economic impacts, trade effects, environmental or public health consequences, or the value of fur production that could be lost under a ban.