The European Parliament is inspecting a petition calling for a ban on fur. Whereas the petition is nice information for animal welfare, there have been some considerations in regards to the potential ban’s financial penalties, because the EU is a number one fur producer and vendor.
The Fur Free Europe European Residents’ Initiative is asking for a ban on fur farming and gross sales throughout the European Union.
It has gathered over 1.5 million signatures throughout 18 member states, and is being introduced on Thursday to the European Parliament by the committees on the Inside Market and Client Safety (IMCO) and on Agriculture and Rural Improvement.
A near-total ban on fur within the EU would shut down hundreds of farms, and power many garments producers to modify to fur-free or faux-fur collections.
Though the petition is a constructive growth for animal welfare, some specific fear concerning its doable financial affect, on condition that the EU holds a big place on the worldwide fur market. Are these fears well-founded?
How vital is the European fur business?
The EU is the second-largest producer of fur globally, behind China.
In 2021, EU fur exports represented €107.8 million, based on a number of animal welfare organisations.
The business represents about 100,000 jobs, scattered between the farming, manufacturing and sale of fur merchandise.
However the manufacturing of fur within the EU is already in sharp decline.
Up to now, 14 member stateshave banned fur farming, and plenty of have carried out strict legal guidelines to make sure animal welfare, de facto slowing down fur manufacturing.
Is the business doomed to vanish?
The most recent figures level in a quite pessimistic future for the business: in simply two years, fur manufacturing has been greater than halved – and it has been on the decline for a couple of decade.
In accordance with The Fur Free Alliance, mink fur manufacturing represented 18 million pelts in 2020 within the EU, and was right down to 7.5 million final 12 months. The identical goes for fox fur, with 700,000 produced in 2022, in contrast with 1.2 million in 2020.
The lower in demand is attributed to animal welfare teams’ consciousness marketing campaign, coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that elevated wariness of animal-to-human transmission of ailments.
Denmark, a big EU mink fur producer, determined to kill round 15 million animals to forestall the transmission of COVID-19 variants.
Animal rights activists can relaxation assured that the European fur business just isn’t the one one in decline.
China, the world’s main fur producer, and Canada, whose fur manufacturing is engrained within the nation’s traditions, have additionally seen their industries quickly shrink these previous few years.
After the introduction of the petition banning fur on Thursday, members of the European Parliament are set to debate the ban on 19 October – taking into account each the implications for the European fur business and animal welfare.
The contents throughout the article have been equipped by way of Newswire for Finencial.com, go to