The European Parliament has voted in favour of a ban on the production, marketing, import and export of cat and dog fur in Europe. The ban, which must be approved by the 27 EU-member governments, would take effect in 2009 and each individual government will be responsible for enforcing the new legislation. Cat and dog fur products will be confiscated at border controls and both importers and traders will be fined.
According to the European Commission, cat and dog fur has been disguised in items such as clothing and children’s soft toys using false labelling. However, it is difficult to assess the scale of the problem due to the underhand methods employed by the fur producers. Reports indicate that the majority of illegal cat and dog fur trade is instigated by China and other Asian nations, although there have also been reports of cases in the Czech Republic, which has been an EU member since 2004.
An estimate from Humane Society International suggests that approximately two million cats and dogs are killed worldwide for fur each year, with an estimated 5,400 cats and dogs killed in China every day.
In the UK, trade minister Ian McCartney and animal welfare Minister Ben Bradshaw welcomed the ban. Mr Bradshaw said: “An EU-wide ban goes one step further to help secure improved welfare for cats and dogs across all member states. It sets a universal standard for member states to follow and shows the rest of the world that we will not tolerate trade of this kind."
