AA-FT contributed to the consultation launched by the European Commission on fur farming in Europe. This dialogue follows the Fur Free Europe European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), which gathered the support of more than 1.5 million Europeans. The Initiative urges the EU institutions to prohibit, across the Union, the keeping and killing of animals for fur production, as well as the placing of farmed animal fur on the EU market.
On 7 December 2023, the European Commission published its response to the ECI in a Communication outlining its legal and political conclusions, along with the actions it intends to take. Among these was a mandate to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to deliver an independent Scientific Opinion on the welfare of animals kept for fur production.
This Opinion, released in July 2025, confirms what has long been documented: current fur farming systems in the EU cause severe and unavoidable suffering for animals, including foxes, raccoon dogs, and chinchillas. The welfare problems inherent to these systems cannot be prevented or mitigated under existing conditions.
We now await the Commission’s own assessment and Communication, expected by March 2026, which will determine whether it considers appropriate a proposal to prohibit the keeping and killing of farmed mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, and chinchillas.
Scientific evidence is unequivocal: wild species cannot be bred in captivity without causing serious, chronic welfare issues, including the suppression of essential behaviours, stress, injuries, and health disorders. EU policy must remain grounded in the latest scientific knowledge, and the Commission must follow the evidence-based recommendations and the widespread support for a ban on fur farming across Europe.