A new political initiative is reigniting the European debate on the fur industry. Between Brussels and Rome, pressure is growing from MEPs and local officials to introduce further restrictions to protect animal welfare, public health and the environment. At the center of the discussion are an open letter to the European Commission and a motion presented in Rome’s city council.
The letter from 53 MEPs to the EU Commission
Fur animal farming is intrinsically linked to significant and unavoidable suffering. This is stated in an open letter sent by 53 MEPs to European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi.
The document stresses that these practices involve confining wild species in conditions incompatible with their natural behaviors, solely to supply the fashion sector. MEPs also cite a European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) opinion stating that keeping mink, foxes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas in small barren wire cages is fundamentally incompatible with adequate animal welfare standards.
The Rome event on the fur industry’s unsustainability
As part of the initiative, Humane world for animals organized an event in Rome titled “The economic unsustainability of the European fur industry.”
MEPs Cristina Guarda, Carolina Morace and Brando Benifei attended alongside Rome city councillor Daniele Diaco. The conference renewed calls to turn the page in Europe through stronger regulatory action.
Political demands and sector economic data
At the initiative of Guarda, Benifei and Morace, the 53 signatories urged Commissioner Várhelyi to respect the will of more than 1.5 million citizens who supported the European Citizens’ Initiative “Fur Free Europe,” expecting a favorable response toward an EU-wide ban by March.
Cristina Guarda stated that forcing wild animals to live in cages for their entire lives is ethically unacceptable and also poses public health risks. She called for ending public funding that keeps afloat a declining sector increasingly abandoned by designers and consumers.
Economic concerns were also highlighted. In the report “A full-cost account of the EU fur industry,” economist Griffin Carpenter notes that the European fur farming sector has been operating at a loss for years and is not sustainable without external funding.
According to the analysis, the industry generates a gross value added of -€9.2 million. Environmental (€226 million) and health (€211 million) costs exceed total revenues (€183 million), resulting in an overall economic contribution of -€446 million.
Carolina Morace added that the sector accounts for less than 0.003% of EU employment, confirming its marginal role. She called for an EU ban accompanied by a fair transition period for remaining operators.
Existing bans within the European Union
Many EU countries have already introduced bans on fur animal farming, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Other Member States have adopted species-specific bans or strict regulations that have effectively limited the practice.
According to Brando Benifei, to avoid internal market fragmentation the EU should introduce a definitive ban on both farming and trading fur products. He noted that the Union has already taken similar steps with bans on dog, cat and seal fur.
The motion from Rome Capitale councillors
While awaiting EU decisions, local action is also underway in Rome. City councillors Daniele Diaco and Paolo Ferrara, together with councillor Linda Meleo, submitted a motion proposing a ban on displaying fur and fur-derived items in shop windows across the city.
The proposal relies on Rome Capitale’s responsibilities regarding animal protection, environmental protection, urban decor and public health. The motion states that displaying fur products may be perceived as contrary to public sensitivity and the sustainability values promoted by the city.