CALL FOR EVIDENCE

FOR AN INITIATIVE (without an impact assessment)

This document aims to inform the public and stakeholders about the Commission’s work, so they can provide feedback and participate effectively in consultation activities.

We ask these groups to provide views on the Commission’s understanding of the problem and possible solutions, and to give us any relevant information they may have.

Title of the initiative

The ‘Fur Free Europe’ European citizens’ initiative (assessment)

Lead DG – responsible unit

DG SANTE, G3

Likely Type of initiative

Non-legislative

Indicative Timing

Q1 2026

Additional Information

Policy area: animal welfare

‘Fur Free Europe’ European Citizens Initiative (ECI)

This document is for information purposes only. It does not prejudge the final decision of the Commission on whether this initiative will be pursued or on its final content. All elements of the initiative described by this document, including its timing, are subject to change.

A. Political context, problem definition and subsidiarity check

Political context

In June 2023, the ‘Fur Free Europe’ European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) was formally submitted to the Commission. Under this initiative, 1.5 million EU citizens called upon the Commission to take action to prohibit: (i) the keeping and killing of animals for the sole or main purpose of fur production; and (ii) the placement on the EU market of farmed animal fur and products containing such fur. The scope of this initiative is strictly limited to certain species: mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, and chinchillas. It is crucial to understand that this initiative has no relation to the production of leather or any derived products, and it does not propose a ban on leather. Any interpretation suggesting that the European Union is about to ban leather is incorrect and misleading.

On 7 December 2023, the Commission adopted a Communication as a follow-up to the initiative. This outlined the Commission’s legal and political conclusions, as well as the actions it plans to take in response.

The 2023 Communication announced that it would carry out an assessment to (i) support the Commission’s decision on the appropriate follow-up to give to the initiative; and (ii) support the preparation of this follow-up by providing a robust evidence base for any future measures.

The Commission is now working on this assessment. Its scope includes the environmental, social and economic impacts of (i) the requests put forward by the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Fur Free Europe’; and (ii) alternative approaches to ensure the welfare of farmed fur animals (e.g. the introduction of stricter farming animal welfare rules, and whether those should also apply to imported products).

Due to the scarce scientific evidence and lack of consensus concerning the welfare of fur animals, the Commission has tasked EFSA with issuing a scientific opinion on the welfare of animals bred for fur production by June 2025 under mandate M-2023-00148. EFSA’s opinion will assess the welfare conditions of mink, foxes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas for fur production.

Problem the initiative aims to tackle

General minimum requirements for the protection of animals kept for farming purposes are laid down in Council Directive 98/58/EC of 20 July 1998 concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes, which includes animals kept for fur production. There is currently no other specific EU legislation on the welfare of fur animals.

The fitness check on the existing EU animal welfare legislation, performed by the Commission in 2022, showed that the provisions of Directive 98/58 are so generic that they cannot be implemented and properly enforced. It also demonstrated that the existing legislation needs to be updated to reflect new scientific and technological developments.

Internal market distortions: several Member States have implemented national bans of varying scopes on fur farming activities, concerning all or only some species of fur animals. These national bans distort the internal market and create unequal conditions for operators across the EU. Meanwhile, fur farmers in the remaining producing Member States continue operating in accordance with varying national requirements, and place fur and fur products on the entire EU internal market.

EU citizens’ concern: there are high societal and ethical expectations concerning the welfare of fur animals – as demonstrated by the 1.5 million signatures of the ‘Fur Free Europe’ ECI and by national measures on fur farming adopted by Member States.

The ECI argues that the current farming conditions for fur animals are incompatible with modern values for animal welfare. Environmentally, fur farming activities contribute to resource consumption and pollution; raise concerns about biodiversity in the cases of mink and racoon dogs; and emit greenhouse gases.

Basis for EU action (legal basis and subsidiarity check)

Animal welfare is a shared competence between the EU and Member States. The subsidiarity principle justifies EU-level action that clearly adds value. The Commission has therefore made a commitment to examine the welfare of fur animals more closely, relying on more detailed data. By conducting a thorough economic, social, environmental and welfare assessment that is based on strong evidence and data, the Commission aims to establish a harmonised approach that can ensure consistent animal welfare standards; tackle environmental concerns; respond to citizens’ ethical concerns; reduce regulatory differences; and (in the case of the regulatory option) foster a level playing field in the internal market.

Legal basis

Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the European citizens’ initiative

Legal basis for regulating animal welfare in fur farming: Articles 114 and 43 TFEU.

Practical need for EU action

Inconsistent national regulations and enforcement in fur farming have affected the integrity of the single market and resulted in different levels of animal welfare across the EU, requiring an EU-wide approach to respond to the requests of the ‘Fur Free Europe’ ECI.

B. What does the initiative aim to achieve and how

The 2026 Communication will announce which actions the Commission intends to take as a follow-up to the ECI ‘Fur Free Europe’, with a view to ensuring adequate protection for fur animals.

It will also summarise the Commission’s assessment of the economic, social, environmental, animal health, public health and animal welfare impacts of the bans requested by the ECI as well as the impacts of alternative approaches (i.e. stricter and more specific animal welfare rules for fur farming). It will also summarise the Commission’s assessment of the impacts of applying either measure to imports.

The 2023 Commission Communication identified the following three possible scenarios to respond to the ECI:

1.    propose a ban, after a transition period, on the farming in the EU of mink, foxes, raccoon dogs and/or chinchillas for their fur (without measures on imports – so fur and fur products from non-EU countries could still be placed on the EU market under this approach); or

2.    propose a ban, after a transition period, on the farming in the EU of mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, and/or chinchillas for their fur and a ban on the placing on the EU market of fur and fur products from such animals (including animals that have been farmed in non-EU countries); or

3.    introduce EU legislation to set stricter and more specific harmonised standards that better address the welfare needs of fur animals (with or without equivalent measures on imports).

Likely impacts

Fur production has been steadily declining in the EU and elsewhere. In parallel, an increasing number of fashion brands have been moving towards what they label as ‘cruelty-free’ alternatives, such as synthetic fur and other innovative materials.

The assessment will quantify the economic impact of a ban on fur farming in the EU or stricter regulation of the sector; taking account of trends in the level of employment and activity in fur farming and processing, and related industries. The rest of the supply chain would need to either (i) import fur and fur-based products in order to continue their operations; or (ii) transition to other economic activities. The assessment will also (i) investigate the likely pathways and impacts on fur processors, fur-based products manufacturers and fashion brands; and (ii) consider intra and extra EU-trade aspects, including on impacts on the fashion industry.

If accompanied by measures on imports, an EU ban on fur farming could accelerate innovation in developing more alternatives to fur (thus fostering the development of new materials and technologies), while also creating jobs and opening up new sectors within the fashion and textile industries. Jobs directly linked to fur farming and processing, which are currently often concentrated in rural areas, would be impacted. The capacity for job reconversion should be investigated.

Additional animal welfare requirements would impose additional costs on fur farmers, but they may be able to transfer these along the supply chain.

Social impacts are expected to be overall positive. A ban would respond to citizens’ expectations as requested in the ‘Fur Free Europe’ ECI. Additional welfare requirements would partially meet societal expectations regarding animal welfare and more ethical production.

Eliminating fur farming would resolve many of the welfare issues affecting fur producing animals in the EU but would not address the welfare of animals raised outside the EU. Alternatively, implementing stricter species-specific welfare standards could significantly improve the conditions in which these animals are kept. In addition, banning imports or applying equivalent animal welfare requirements to imports could partially prevent the shifting of welfare problems to non-EU countries.

It should nevertheless be noted that the impact of any measures on imports will also be assessed in terms of their impact on the EU’s relations with its trading partners and the economic impact on their producers.

Environmentally, a ban on fur-based products would probably yield benefits by reducing the following in the EU: waste and environmental pollution; resource use; and CO₂ emissions associated with fur farming. The invasive alien species (IAS) aspects are also considered given the inclusion of American mink on the list of IAS (as was done for racoon dogs). Prohibiting imports would further reduce the externalisation of environmental burdens to non-EU countries. The environmental aspects of shifting to petroleum-oil-based synthetic fur and to other innovative materials should also be assessed.

The Commission’s analysis will take into account the financial and administrative capacities of EU national administrations to implement and enforce these measures. This comprehensive approach is intended to address the economic, social, environmental and animal welfare challenges of the fur industry while ensuring a level playing field for all stakeholders.

Future monitoring

Any monitoring will be assessed when the follow-up measures that will be announced in the 2026 Communication are being executed.

C. Better regulation

Impact assessment

The initiative will not be accompanied by an impact assessment because it will not create a new policy at this stage. It will merely set out the envisaged measures and a timeline for the Commission to act. Impact assessments will be carried out for any related legislative proposals that the Commission may make.

Consultation strategy

The 2026 Communication will draw on the extensive evidence and findings related to the ‘Fur Free Europe’ ECI and will be complemented by an external study.

The consultation activities will include:

-this four-week public consultation via the ‘Have Your Say’ portal;

-targeted interviews, case studies, surveys and workshops with relevant stakeholder groups through an external study;

-a survey of the EU Member States on fur animals.

The consultations aim to inform the decision on the follow-up to the ‘Fur Free Europe’ ECI in a participatory and transparent manner. The Commission is inviting views and expertise from all stakeholders, both EU and non-EU, so that they can provide evidence on the economic, social, and environmental impacts, benefits and costs of the scenarios outlined in its 2023 Communication; and/or suggest alternative ways to address the problems identified.

Through this call for evidence, the Commission wants to obtain data in order to quantify the impacts of each scenario at all stages of the fur industry and industries using farmed fur – from farming to processing, manufacturing and sale of final products. This includes quantifiable economic data (e.g. production losses, costs of transitioning away from fur farming, impacts on trade, and impacts on the textile industry using farmed fur); social data (e.g. employment figures in farming, manufacturing and retail); and environmental data (e.g. impacts of fur processing, tanning and dyeing).

All stakeholders and the general public are welcome to participate in the call for evidence. The following are particularly welcome: fur farmers; businesses closely related to the fur farming sector (feed producers, fur processing, manufacturing, etc); the EU’s apparel and fashion industry; consumers and consumer organisations; environmental and social organisations; public authorities; academia; international stakeholders; and partners outside the EU.