Day: October 12, 2023

Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News

EU: European Parliament Hearing: one step closer to a Fur Free Europe.

European Parliament Hearing: one step closer to a Fur Free Europe

12 October 2023

Press Release

The Europeans Citizens’ call for a Fur Free Europe was presented today at the European Parliament: animal protection organisations, scientists and former fur industry representatives reiterated the critical need for the EU to ban the cruel practice of fur farming once and for all, while they stressed the importance of the publication of the full proposals on animal welfare.

European Parliament Hearing: one step closer to a Fur Free Europe

More than 1.5 million citizens asked for a Fur Free Europe, and 20 Member States have already totally or partially banned fur farming on grounds of animal welfare and public health, sending a clear sign that under no circumstances can fur farms protect the welfare of wild animals. The call to ban fur farms for good has been supported by a number of MEPS as well as Member States at Council level.

In fur farms wild animals are kept in tiny cages, hindered from displaying natural behaviours and killed solely for their fur. In addition, the farms pose a significant risk on animal and human health, and a threat to biodiversity.

Whatever the claims made by the fur industry, neither welfare regulations nor any industry certification scheme can ever change the reality of sentient animals being condemned to live their entire, miserable lives in tiny wire cages. These wild animals are deprived of their basic freedoms, for a product that has no necessity value. Fur is produced only to satisfy the vanity of a very small and rapidly diminishing number of people. That is unacceptable. We must stop it.

Mike Moser, a former fur industry CEO, who is now advocating to ban fur farms

Following an initial meeting between the ECI organisers and the European Commission (EC), this parliamentary hearing is part of the formal ECI procedure. By mid-December, the European Commission is expected to provide an official reply.

Meanwhile, animal protection organisations, MEPs and other stakeholders gathered together yesterday in front of the Berlaymont to publicly call on EC President Ursula von der Leyen to publish the animal welfare proposals in the current term. Amongst the proposals, the Kept Animal Regulation should include the ban on fur farming. 

It is hard to believe that anyone would agree that a life on a fur farm is worth living. Looking at the scientific evidence, it is not surprising that European citizens are strongly against fur farming. It is becoming increasingly difficult to defend the indefensible, with the industry’s own supporters turning against it. The moment could not be more favourable for adopting these bans and including them in the Kept Animal Regulation, a vital part of the revised animal welfare revision. The EC has now the chance to deliver on its promise to publish the full proposals by the end of the year.

Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals

Mink are active predators whose natural behaviour includes roaming over large areas, hunting, climbing, and swimming. They are highly motivated to seek for food in streams and lakesides where a significant part of their hunting occurs in water. Unlike many other animals in captivity, minks are not suited to live in groups, as they are territorial and typically solitary in the wild. On mink farms, keeping them in small cages, their living conditions are not suited for the life they are adapted for.

Bo Algers, Professor emeritus of veterinary medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

The practice of farming animals for fur breaches the most fundamental principles of animal welfare. The farming systems do not align with the species-specific needs of animals bred on fur farms. This should be seriously considered during the ongoing revision of the EU animal welfare legislation.

Johan Lindsjö, veterinary expert at the Swedish Centre for Animal Welfare (SCAW), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Regards Mark

Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Live Transport

EU: Ursula von der Leyen urged to uphold democracy and deliver full proposals for the animals.

Ursula von der Leyen urged to uphold democracy and deliver full proposals for the animals

11 October 2023

Press Release

Animal protection organisations, MEPs and advocates gathered in front of the Berlaymont and publicly called on President von der Leyen to publish the promised full proposals for a revised animal welfare legislation.

In 2020, the European Commission (EC) committed to revise the animal welfare legislation as part of the Farm to Fork Strategy, but with only months before the end of the political term, the EC has announced that it will only publish one of the four promised proposals (Transport Regulation), leaving millions of animals unprotected and citizens’ calls ignored.  

With the current legislation not having been revised for over two decades, several research studies, including EFSA’s latest opinions, have highlighted that the existing regulations are outdated and insufficient to protect the welfare of animals in Europe. This calls for the urgent need to revise the Kept Animals and Slaughter regulations, yet the EC has failed to provide a timeline.

Among the promised proposals, the EC is expected to reveal its action plan to phase out cages, in response to 1.4 million citizens who have called for their ban in the End the Cage Age ECI.

MEPs Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, LU), Anja Hazekamp (The Left, NL), Niels Fuglsang (S&D, DK), Michal Wiezik (Renew Europe, SK), Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA, AT), Manuela Ripa (Greens/EfA, DE), Petras Auštrevičius (Renew Europe, LT), Francisco Guerreiro (Greens/EFA, PT), Caroline Roose (Greens/EFA, FR), Martin Hojsík (Renew Europe, SK) and Martin Buschmann (NA, DE), joined the gathering and publicly called on the EC to deliver the full proposal, as promised.

Millions of citizens are waiting for the European Commission to deliver on these promises and it is in the interest of the credibility of our European institutions not to let them down.

Tilly Metz, MEP

The call was supported by renowned ethologist and conservationist, UN Messenger of Peace and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, Dr Jane Goodall, PhD:

Every year, 300 million sentient animals are caged, confined in industrial farms across the EU. These systems are outdated and cause immense suffering to animals who are able to feel frustration, fear and pain. Unfortunately, it seems that the powerful agribusiness lobby has been opposing these desperately needed reforms, because for them, the wellbeing of animals is not important. It seems that President von der Leyen has listened to big business, rather than the millions of EU citizens who support the promised ban on cages.

Dr. Jane Goodall

She publicly asked President von der Leyen to meet with her and discuss the issue.

In the past weeks, over 600 scientists,  over 100 MEPs and up to 50,000 citizens have called on the EC President to address Europeans’ demands and deliver the proposals.

This commission publicly committed to improve animal welfare. Yet now, at a pivotal moment, we are faced with ambiguity. We don’t need dialogue anymore, we do not need any more economic assessments, and we will not settle for tokens. We are long past those stages. Animal welfare is close to the heart of millions of citizens who now hold this Commission fully accountable for the commitment made to improve the lives of billions of animals in Europe. The time is now, as promised. Revising the animal welfare legislation is the right thing to do.

Reineke Hameleeers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals

On Thursday 12th October, the European Parliament is set to host a debate on another successful ECI, Fur Free Europe, which calls for the ban of fur farming and the placement of fur products on the European market. The farming ban should also be included in the revised Kept Animals Regulation, answering the call of 1.5 million citizens.

Regards Mark