Category: Fur and Fur Farming

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

EU – Ethical Reasons To Modernise The Global Animal Welfare Policy.

There are very strong ethical reasons to modersise the global animal welfare policy. ‘Forward For Animals’ is an organisation calling on EU decision makers to do just that.

On thousands of farms right across the EU, animals are constantly suffering in silence from both cruelty and neglect. We have exposed this so many times on WAV; along with the other excellent organisations (in this particular case) within the EU.

Laws that were created to allegedly give these same animals ‘protection’ in some instances are now over 40 years old. They never have given animals ‘protection’ – they are laws which have always been, and continue to be, unfit for purpose. As a result, sentient living animals continue to suffer daily.

Forward For Animals in the latest campaign from the Eurogroup for Animals network. It looks to expose the reality of life for suffering farm animals throughout the EU; to debunk the myths spewed out by the industry; and to provide positive ways forward for all stakeholders.

The European Commission launched a much needed revision for animal welfare some 5 years ago, with the promise of presenting the proposal by 2024. Suprise, suprise, the EU has failed to deliver once again – the promise to review the rules and make them open to the public – a commitment to modernise and change the rules continues to be pushed back and delayed further.

Responding to continued and increased pressure to deliver on the proposals, the Commissioner for Animal Welfare; Oliver Varhelyi, has promised updated updated legislation for animals on EU farms by 2026. This includes the promise to deliver a ban on all cage systems used in farming.

The laws must reflect citizens mandates, evidence from us in welfare, along with the scientific community.

There must be a firm and legal commitment to end animal suffering across farming, transport, trade, science and everything ‘environmental’.

The campaign highlights that dignity, kindness, compassion and safety should be the basic rights for all sentient beings in Europe.

Later in the year, citizens will have the opportunity to participate in, and to give their support for the campaign.

Link – Forward For Animals https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/forward-animals

Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Live Transport, pets, Stray Animals, Uncategorized, Vivisection, Wildlife

(EU) The fragmented landscape of animal welfare legislation in the European Union

https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/library/fragmented-landscape-animal-welfare-legislation-european-union

17 February 2025

From cage to fur farming and fish welfare, key animal welfare concerns are being addressed very differently across the EU’s 27 Member States.

In this report, we break down the steps that different countries in the EU are taking on a range of animal welfare issues – or lack thereof. The stark differences in their approaches highlights the critical need for the EU to publish its long-awaited revision to the animal welfare legislation, which has not been updated for decades, and which is not sufficiently protecting the wellbeing of animals across Europe.

Only by modernising and strengthening these laws will the EU be able to effectively harmonise the approaches of all Member States to animal welfare: improving the lives of billions of sentient beings, easing compliance for farmers, ensuring fair competition, and aligning agriculture with its sustainability and resilience goals.

11 02 2025_The fragmented landscape of animal welfare legislation in the European Union_report_efa_eng_0Download
Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Live Transport

EU: Animal Welfare Commissioner Must Show More Concrete Commitments.

23 October 2024

In the run-up to the candidate hearing of EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi, the European Commission (EC) published the answers to the written questions.

While Eurogroup for Animals welcomes aspects of the candidate’s answers to questions on animal welfare, it stresses the need for much more ambitious actions and concrete commitments to improving the lives of all animals in Europe, and to respect the wishes of citizens who have been calling for the EU to do much more in this respect.

In his answers, candidate Várhelyi promised to work on “policies [that] leave no one behind, creating conditions for truly inclusive health and animal welfare systems catered fairly to the needs of people and animals”.  

Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the commitment to modernise animal welfare legislation in line with the latest science, and acting on the End the Cage Age ECI through the phasing out of animal cages.

The answers however, are far from ambitious enough, and the candidate makes no reference to:

  • A clear timeline of the revision of the legislation
  • Comprehensive species-specific regulations that take into account the unique needs of certain species, like fish and meat chickens
  • A ban on fur farms, as per the demands of the Fur Free Europe ECI. 
  • Plans for a transition to animal-free science
  • Actions to tackle the illegal pet trade
  • Ensuring that animal welfare standards apply to imported products
  • The introduction of and EU-wide Positive List for animals that should be kept as pets
  • Enabling food environments that make healthy and sustainable diets widely available and affordable – this is crucial for a OneHealth approach.

Despite the introduction of Animal Welfare in the Commissioner’s name, a news that was widely welcomed, the mission letter barely mentioned animal welfare (only 1 of 14 items).

In reaction, in September, Eurogroup for Animals sent an ideal mission letter to EC President Ursula von der Leyen, detailing the priorities that were missing. MEPs are invited to sign the mission letter during an event that Eurogroup for Animals will host with GAIA at the European Parliament during the week starting 4 November.

With animal welfare being right there in the title of his role, we expect much more ambition on the part of candidate Várhelyi. After decades of new scientific evidence, and resounding calls from citizens, we urgently need more concrete commitments and timelines that ensure better standards for all animals in the EU, with none left behind. We call on MEPs to represent the demands of citizens and request specific answers during the hearing.

Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals

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Related news

Animal welfare commissioner must show more concrete commitments

Silent Suffering: photo exhibition highlights cruel realities of animals in Europe

Strategic dialogue urges EC to deliver the revision of animal welfare legislation by 2026

Mark

Environmental, Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Live Transport, Stray Animals, Uncategorized

EU Brussels: Missing posters spotlight EU’s stalled animal welfare progress.

7 October 2024

A billboard campaign has been launched in the heart of Brussels’ EU quarter, urging the European Commission to fulfil its promises on the animal welfare legislation, now overdue by a year.

The European Commission had committed to a comprehensive overhaul of animal welfare legislation by October 2023. However, a full year has passed without the promised proposals for kept animals and slaughter being unveiled.

Countless animals continue to suffer in factory farms across the EU under outdated and inadequate laws that fail to protect them or meet their most basic needs. 

As part of our No Animal Left Behind campaign, Eurogroup for Animals placed 40 billboards across 17 metro stations in the EU capital to send a strong message to the European Commission: citizens are still waiting for meaningful legislative change for the animals. 

Despite the delayed proposals, it was promising to see consensus by all stakeholders of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture on the urgent need for a revision of EU animal welfare legislation by 2026 and a phase-out of cage systems. In a historic move, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also announced the creation of the role of Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare. This new role will ensure animals have more representation on the political stage.

Next steps will see candidates for the Commissioner roles face hearings in the European Parliament in November 2024, where their priorities and plans will be scrutinised. Finding the right candidate is crucial to keep animal welfare legislation a top priority in the next legislative term.

Regards Mark – PS They always were bloody useless !

Related news

Common Agricultural Policy found to lack ambition by European Court of Auditors

Popular TV programme reveals calves in Ireland endure abuse and long journeys

Missing posters spotlight EU’s stalled animal welfare progress

Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Hunting, Live Transport, Stray Animals, Uncategorized

EU: Silent Suffering: photo exhibition exposes realities of animals in Europe.

27 September 2024

Four Paws

All across Europe, billions of animals endure unimaginable suffering every day, as current EU laws continue to fall short in providing them the protection they desperately need. NGOs Eurogroup for Animals and FOUR PAWS have teamed up to host the photo exhibition Silent Suffering which will expose the pain and distress endured by farmed, companion, wild, and aquatic animals.

The invite-only event will take place on 1 October at the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels, bringing together MEPs and representatives of animal protection organisations from across Europe.

The photos, put forward by Eurogroup for Animals’ member and partner organisations are spread across nine categories: cage farming, transport, broiler chickens, aquatics, fur farming, animals in science, large carnivores, pets, and trade.

Why this exhibition matters now

As the European Commission prepares to enter a new term, FOUR PAWS and Eurogroup for Animals call for animal welfare to be a priority, and for a revision of the outdated animal welfare legislation to be put forward without further delay.

Regards Mark

Environmental, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Hunting

UK: Campaigned By The AR Movement For Years – Bearskin Hats Worn By Soldiers Now Cost Over £2,000 Each. One Bear Dies For Each Hat – Disgusting; Whist Under The New Labour Government, Pensioners Now Have Their Winter Fuel Allowance CUT – More Disgusting. Heat Or Hat, What Is More Important ?

The bearskin hats worn by soldiers outside Buckingham Palace now cost more than £2,000 each, new figures show.

Animal rights activists trying to get real fur out of the bearskin caps worn by King’s Guards took aim at the cost of the ceremonial garb.

The price of the caps soared 30% in a year to more than £2,000 pounds apiece for the hats made of black bear fur, the Ministry of Defense said in response to a freedom of information request by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/buckingham-palace-guard-s-bearskin-caps-under-fire-as-price-revealed/ar-AA1qsCTQ?ocid=BingNewsVerp

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/kings-guards-bearskin-caps-could-go-due-to-animal-rights-pressure/ar-AA1qrO7b?ocid=BingNewsVerp

Peta anger over soaring cost of bearskin caps worn by King’s Guard outside Buckingham Palace

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/peta-anger-over-soaring-cost-of-bearskin-caps-worn-by-kings-guard-outside-buckingham-palace/ar-AA1qrxQt?ocid=BingNewsVerp

Regards Mark

Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News

(EU) Poland: Polish fur farms visited by European Commission auditors.

12 September 2024

“Fact-finding” visits to fur farms in Poland are being conducted this week by auditors of the European Commission, as part of the process in which an EU-wide ban on such farms is being considered.

This visit by the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety comes as a result of the European Citizens’ Initiative Fur Free Europe, in which 1.5 million European citizens called for a ban on fur farms and the sale of farmed fur products in the EU.

On fur farms, animals such as mink, foxes, chinchillas and racoon dogs are kept in tiny cages, hindered from displaying natural behaviour and killed solely for an unnecessary fashion product: fur. 

Under no circumstances, can the welfare of animals on fur farms be protected and a ban should be the only way forward. As a highly polluting industry, fur farming and processing also pose serious threats to biodiversity and public health. 20 member states have already implemented total bans, partial bans or other legislative measures on fur farming, however the EU is still set to give its final decision on an EU-wide ban.

During the visit, the auditors will be primarily focusing on the public health and zoonotic disease risks posed by such farms, after several fur farms in Europe were affected by Covid-19 and avian influenza in recent years, including Poland. Besides evaluating the implementation of the One Health mechanism on Polish fur farms,  the audits may also include an evaluation of the welfare of farmed animals.

Although the auditors’ visits from the European Commission are announced, I am confident that the evaluation of fur farms in Poland will be negative. The welfare of foxes and minks is shockingly poor and will not go unnoticed by the visitors. As for public health risks, this issue has been ignored by the fur industry and disregarded by the Ministry of Agriculture, so we also expect a negative assessment from the auditors.

Paweł Rawicki, President, Otwarte Klatki

Apart from the undeniable animal welfare issues inherent to fur farms, the fact-finding visits conducted by the European Commission to fur farms in certain Member States are highly relevant. The connection between fur farming and the spread of zoonotic diseases must not be overlooked, especially in the context of preventing future pandemics. Given the non-essential nature of fur products, and in line with the One Health approach — essential for anticipating, preventing, detecting, and controlling diseases that transmit between animals and humans — it is unlikely that proportionate justifications can be found to continue legitimising this industry in the EU.

Bethania Malmberg, Programme Officer Fur Animals, Eurogroup for Animals

With over 300 farms keeping 3.4 million animals, Poland is currently the largest fur producer in the EU. Earlier this year, a bill was presented by a Polish MP for a national ban, yet this is still set to be deliberated in Parliament.

Regards Mark