BUCHAREST, 22 OCTOBER 2024—In a monumental victory for animal protection, the Romanian Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to ban chinchilla and mink fur farming, the only two fur farm industries that exist in the country. This groundbreaking decision is the result of nearly two years of political debates and sustained campaigning by our Fur Free Alliance member group in Romania, HSI Europe, and fellow animal groups. Romania now becomes the 22nd country in Europe and 16th EU Member State to ban fur farming, marking a significant milestone in the global campaign to end the cruel practice of breeding and killing animals for fur fashion.

Joh Vinding, chairman of the Fur Free Alliance, said:

“This decision is a historic moment for animal protection in Romania. The Fur Free Alliance supported this campaign by holding an event in the Romanian parliament last year, and we are delighted to see the work of our local member group in Romania, HSI Europe, bear fruit. All across Europe the message to legislators is loud and clear: it’s time to make fur history.”

Ruud Tombrock, executive director for HSI/Europe, said:

“Today’s decision to ban fur farming is not only a landmark moment for animal protection in Romania, but also a pivotal step in the broader European effort to end one of the cruelest forms of exploitation of animals. As public concern for animal welfare grows across Europe, demonstrated by the overwhelming success of the Fur Free Europe ECI, it is clear that fur farming has no place in a compassionate and ethical society and the only way to move forward is by adopting an EU-wide ban on production of fur.”

The bill was originally proposed after HSI/Europe conducted a shocking undercover investigation exposing appalling conditions on fur farms in Romania. Chinchillas were filmed confined in small, filthy wire cages, only to be killed for fur fashion at just a few months old in improvised gas chambers or by having their necks broken. Now that the bill has been voted through in the Chamber of Deputies, once promulgated it will make fur farming illegal in Romania effective 1st of January 2027. Although the legislation must be promulgated by President Klaus Iohannis and published in the Official Journal to become effective, this is anticipated to pass without delay.

In May 2022, members of the Fur Free Alliance spoke at a round table event in the Romanian parliament urging politicians to support a fur farming ban. According to a nationwide survey commissioned by HSI/Europe, over 67% of Romanians support a fur farming ban, further emphasizing public sentiment against the fur industry. In addition, HSI/Europe’s campaign in Romania gathered more than 74,000 petition signatures in favor of ending fur farming, which HSI/Europe submitted to the Romanian Parliament.

The fur industry in Romania is in decline, with the number of fur farms having dropped dramatically from more than 150 in 2013 to around a dozen in 2022 including two large mink farms producing approximately 100,000 mink pelts and 15,000 chinchilla pelts annually. The ban in Romania also tackles the environmental and human health hazards linked to fur farming, including the spread of zoonotic diseases, positioning Romania within the broader European movement that emphasizes animal welfare and sustainable practices.

Fur facts:

• Tens of millions of animals suffer and die each year in the global fur trade, the majority reared in barren battery cages on fur farms.
• Fur farming has now been banned in 22 European countries—the 16 Member States of Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia plus Bosnia and Herzegovina, Guernsey, Norway, United Kingdom, North Macedonia and Serbia. In addition, Switzerland and Germany have implemented strict regulations which have effectively ended fur farming and Denmark, Sweden and Hungary have imposed measures that have ended the farming of certain species. Political discussion of a ban is underway in Bulgaria and Sweden.
• Mink on almost 500 fur farms across 13 countries in Europe and North America have been found to be infected with COVID-19, and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) has been found on 72 fur farms (one in Spain, 71 in Finland) to date. Millions of mink, arctic fox, red fox, raccoon dogs and sable have been slaughtered on public health grounds.
• Ten fashion brands in Romania have pledged to go fur-free after working with Humane Society International/Europe, and have become the first designers in Romania to join the global Fur Free Retailer Ioana Ciolacu, Muse um Concept, REDU, OCTAVIA CHIRU, Katerini, Hooldra, Feeric Fashion Week, Scapadona, Axente and Lenca join the almost 1,600 fashion brands, retailers and designers in 25 countries around the world that are part of the Fur Free Retailer program, including Gucci, Moncler, Prada, Adidas, H&M and Zara.

SOFIA, 1 JULY 2024 - The Administrative Court of Sofia City has issued a decision on the case regarding the ban on the import and breeding of American mink in Bulgaria. The court accepted as groundless the appeal of the only operating mink fur farm in Bulgaria. The legal process was started in 2022, a few months after the Minister of Environment and Waters issued an order banning the import and breeding of the "American Mink" species. The reason for the order is the danger this invasive, non-native species poses to biodiversity.

The Sofia City Administrative Court rejected the mink farm's appeal against the order issued by the Ministry of Environment and Water to ban the import and breeding of the "American mink" species in Bulgaria. The court's decision can be appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court.

American mink (the species farmed for its fur) can negatively impact native animal species and even drive some to extinction. Behind this opinion stand more than 100 scientists and experts who submitted opinions in support of the ban on the import and breeding of American mink. Their support for the ban was strongly expressed during the course of the case.

The mink fur farm near the village of Mazherito, Stara Zagora, has a breeding capacity of about 130,000 American mink. Over the years of operation of the farm, official recordings have been filed about over 100 escaped animals. The number of unrecorded mink escapes is unknown. Complaints of mink attacks on domestic animals are a common problem that torments the local residents living near the farm. There are images and video shots of mink being run over by cars on the road, as well as of animals walking around the center of the city of Stara Zagora. The invasive mammal was also spotted in the river near the town of Galabovo, 30 km from the farm.

As well as endangering biodiversity, fur farms have drawn public wrath for the cruel conditions in which the animals are raised and killed. Minks are kept in narrow and dirty wire cages and, in order to preserve the integrity of their fur, they are killed in gas chambers. In 2021, during an inspection of the mink farm near the village of Mazherito, the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Food reported a number of biosecurity violations, unsatisfactory hygienic conditions, decomposing carcasses of dead animals, as well as mink escaped from their cages.

Petya Altimirska, chair of CAAI (Campaigns and Activism for Animals in the Industry), who since 2017 has been campaigning for the ban of fur farms in Bulgaria, says:

"We welcome the completely fair decision of the court to reject the appeal of the mink breeders. In recent years, scientists have proven that the invasive nature of the "American mink" is a serious threat to local biodiversity. In addition, the American mink is the species in which significant susceptibility to infection with various zoonoses is noted. Last year, an outbreak of COVID-19 occurred among the minks on the farm near Stara Zagora. Recently, bird flu has become increasingly common in mink farms too. Similar outbreaks in other countries have caused fur farms to be closed. This is how cruel and completely unnecessary activity is being stopped."

The mink breeders have the right to appeal the decision within 14 days of its announcement before the Supreme Administrative Court. A possible loss in the second instance would practically end the existence of mink farms in Bulgaria.

WARSAW, 14 JUNE 2024 - MP Malgorzata Tracz today submitted her bill banning the breeding of animals for fur to Sejm Speaker Szymon Holownia. More than 120 politicians and politicians signed the bill, including Aleksandra Gajewska, Katarzyna Piekarska, Adrian Zandberg, Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Gabriela Lenartowicz, Dorota Olko, and Speaker Szymon Holownia himself. Now the bill will wait for the Speaker to assign a print number to go to further parliamentary work.

Małgorzata Tracz's bill envisages a ban on the construction of new farms from 2025, the complete extinction of breeding from 2029, compensation for breeders, and severance pay for farm workers. Already at the start, the bill enjoys strong cross-party support: expressed by, among others, Marek Sawicki of the PSL, Joanna Lichocka of the Law and Justice party, Daria Gosek-Popiolek of Razem, Dorota Loboda of the Civic Platform, and Ewa Szymanowska of Polska2050.

What's next for the draft? It will await the assignment of a print number by Speaker Simon Holownia. Then it will be sent to the European Commission for notification to go to further parliamentary work.

Marta Korzeniak of Otwarte Klatki said:

"We are counting on quick action by Speaker Holownia. We know that the fate of animals is not indifferent to him, he has repeatedly publicly expressed his support for the ban on fur farming, and now he has signed on to the bill, so we hope that the legislation will proceed as soon as possible.”

Activists from Open Cages and the Viva! Foundation stress that the ban enjoys overwhelming public support. In a 2023 Biostat survey, 66.1% of respondents said that raising and killing animals for fur in Poland should not be allowed. 20 countries in Europe have already banned the raising of animals for fur - these include the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Italy, and Ireland. More countries, such as Sweden and Romania, are considering a ban shortly.

Currently, there are about 350 fur farms in Poland, where 3.5 million animals are raised. These are primarily mink farms, which are largely owned by a small group of breeders, including the Dutch Van Ansem family and the Wojcik family. The industry has been in crisis for years, with more than 60% of farms operating in Poland closed since 2018 alone.

MILAN, 6 AUGUST 2024 – After receiving hundreds of thousands of emails, thousands of phone calls, countless social media posts and even having a hot air balloon flown over its headquarters in Italy asking them to go fur-free, Max Mara Fashion Group has officially announced a fur-free policy.

In an internal memo to staff, Max Mara said:

"The Company does not sell, online nor in any of its physical retail locations, any products made with fur, nor is there the intention to introduce any products made with fur into any upcoming collections of Max Mara Fashion Group brands.”

This was confirmed by a Max Mara executive, who added:

“Max Mara, including the MMFG and any subsidiaries, has adopted a fur-free policy and has no intention of introducing fur into any upcoming collection for any of the MMFG brands.”

This announcement comes after numerous unsuccessful attempts at a dialogue with the brand by the Fur Free Alliance (FFA), a coalition of more than 50 animal protection organizations from over 35 countries, leading to its launch of a global campaign during fashion weeks in February 2024 in New York City, London, Milan, and Paris urging the Italian fashion giant to adopt a fur-free policy. The campaign saw more than 270,000 emails, 5,000 phone calls and countless social media posts delivering a clear message asking Max Mara to go fur-free, as well as a hot air balloon blitz over the headquarters in Reggio Emilia. Activists around the world came together to ask Max Mara to do the right thing, and they listened, making it clear fur has no place in fashion.

Max Mara Fashion Group has 2,500+ stores in 105 countries and was previously selling mink gloves, fox fur cuffs and a raccoon dog key chain. The Group now joins the world’s major fashion-houses that have already gone fur-free, including Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Armani.

Joh Vinding, Chairman of the Fur Free Alliance, said:

“The Fur Free Alliance applauds Max Mara for going fur-free. Max Mara was one of the last global fashion brands that still sold fur, so we’re glad they have now joined a growing list of fur-free brands that want nothing to do with animal cruelty associated with the fur trade.”

In September 2018, the Fur Free Alliance asked supporters to contact Prada urging them to go fur-free, and the Italian luxury brand heard the calls and went fur-free the following year. The Fur Free Alliance also worked with Gucci, Armani, Hugo Boss and many others to announce fur-free policies. Today, over 1500 brands and retailers have pledged to go fur-free by joining the Fur Free Retailer Program.

9 FEBRUARY 2024 – Today, the Fur Free Alliance launched a global campaign urging Italian fashion giant Max Mara to join its competitors—including Gucci, Versace, Armani, Prada, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana and many others—in adopting a fur-free policy.

The campaign will take place during fashion weeks in New York City, London, Milan, and Paris. With the reach of the Fur Free Alliance, a coalition of 50 animal protection organizations in 35 countries, the Max Mara campaign will likely be the largest corporate anti-fur campaign of all time, leading to tens of thousands of emails, calls, and social media posts.

In September 2018, the Fur Free Alliance asked its supporters worldwide to contact Prada to go fur-free, and the Italian luxury brand heard the calls and went fur-free the following year, responding to the shift in stakeholder values. The Fur Free Alliance also worked with Gucci, Armani, Hugo Boss and many others to announce fur-free policies. Today, over 1500 brands and retailers have pledged to go fur-free by joining the Fur Free Retailer Program.

Write an email to Max Mara to let them know you care for animals and want them to go fur-free! Follow up by leaving a comment on Max Mara’s social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn).

The global campaign is targeting flagship brand Max Mara, as well as the Max Mara Fashion Group as a whole, including all the group’s brands that are still using animal fur, such as Marina Rinaldi, SportMax and many others. Currently, you can find products like mink gloves, fox fur cuffs, raccoon dog charm or fur trimmed hoods in Max Mara’s assortment.

On fur factory farms, wild animals spend their entire lives in wire-bottom cages, deprived of the ability to engage in natural behaviours—only to be killed by gassing or anal-electrocution. In the wild, animals are held in traps for days without food or water until trappers come to retrieve them, often gnawing off their own limb first in a desperate attempt to escape.

Fur production is also environmentally devastating. Fur factory farms and tanneries are extremely harmful to our soil and waterways—pumping waste and the toxic chemicals into the surrounding environment. And the traps responsible for killing wild animals are indiscriminate, often maiming and killing non-target animals, like endangered species and people’s pets. All told, the fur industry is an environmental nightmare.

Now that the majority of consumers want nothing to do with the fur trade, major fashion brands have responded by announcing policies prohibiting the use of fur. Twenty countries throughout Europe have banned fur production because of animal cruelty and risks to the environment and public health. As well, Israel, California and 14 cities across the U.S. have banned fur sales to create a more humane marketplace and drive innovation.

Fur Free Alliance Chairman Joh Vinding says:

“Max Mara’s support for the archaic and cruel fur trade makes them look outdated and indifferent to animal suffering. Max Mara should join its fur-free peers and choose compassion over profits.”

GERMANY, 3 MAY 2023 – Global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS and the Fur Free Alliance welcome sports apparel brand PUMA as its newest prominent partner. Although PUMA does not currently have any fur products in its range, the company reaffirms its rejection of fur products by joining the international Fur Free Retailer Program. As one of the largest sports brands in the world, PUMA will help raise awareness of animal welfare and make a positive impact on the industry.

Anne Wessendorf, Textiles Campaign Officer at FOUR PAWS, says:

“PUMA is making a strong statement for animal welfare and paving the way for other brands to follow suit and switch to animal-friendly alternatives. We look forward to continuing to work with PUMA and other brands to create a better future for animals in the fashion industry.”

For years, most of the public has rejected fur production. A clear trend reversal towards animal and environmentally friendly fashion can also be seen in major fashion houses all over the world. Consumers favour ethical and sustainable fashion, for which no animal has to suffer.

Stefan Seidel, Senior Head of Corporate Sustainability at PUMA, says:

“PUMA has worked in the field of sustainability for more than 20 years. Apart from focusing on Human Rights, Climate Action and Circularity, our Biodiversity targets already included a reference to the protection of endangered species as well as their habitats. With the introduction of PUMA’s animal welfare policy in 2021, we took an important step towards making sure that animals are treated in a humane way throughout our supply chain. We are also constantly innovating to develop new materials that help us avoid using animal hides. That is why we joined the Fur Free Retailer Program and phased out the use of kangaroo leather this year.”

Brigit Oele, programme manager of the Fur Free Alliance:

“We’re thrilled that PUMA is taking a clear stance against animal suffering by embracing a fur-free policy. Keeping wild animals trapped in small cages for a fashion item is cruel, outdated, and unnecessary. Puma’s move shows that today’s brands value transparency and innovation and want nothing to do with the brutal fur trade.”

MONTENEGRO, 10 JULY 2019 - Yesterday, the opening of the Make Fur History exhibition took place at the Culture and Information Center 'Budo Tomovic' in the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica.  The event, co-organised with our local member group Gallop, reveals the reality on fur factory farms and presents the facts about the animals bred and killed for their fur, and shows why the fur industry belongs in the past.

In February 2019, Gallop started a campaign to call for a ban on fur farming in Montenegro which has been welcomed by both the parliament and the government and is widely supported by the citizens of Montenegro. There are currently no fur farms in Montenegro, but the prohibition is meant to prevent fur farmers from neighboring countries, where bans are in place or upcoming, from establishing new farms in the country.

The three-day exhibition aims to inform decision-makers on the negative impact of fur farming on local nature and communities, and shows the extreme animal welfare problems associated with fur farming. Speakers at the opening and roundtable included Dušan Pajović, president of the animal rights organisation Gallop, Maida Šabeta, environmental legal expert, Thomas Pietsch, wild animal expert from Four Paws Germany and Jelena Stevanovic, campaign manager from Freedom For Animals, Serbia.

Pajović says:

"Throughout history, there has always been frames of time where certain social justice ideals would reach mass acceptance. Killing animals for fur has stumbled for a long time against many obstacles – above all the ethical, ecological and economic ones. The “natural” fur industry has finally been beaten, and even the pro-European Montenegro has come to adopt a law prohibiting breeding animals for fur. At this conference, and thereafter,  we will all work together to make fur history – and make it stay in its dark corner.”

The intense battery cage system used on fur farms deprives animals from the opportunity to express their natural behaviour and causes severe welfare problems. International studies have shown behavioral disorders, such as stereotypies, pelt-biting and infant mortality, are highly common on fur farms.

The Make Fur History exhibition was launched last year in the European Parliament by the Fur Free Alliance and Eurogroup for Animals. The exhibition exposes the facts about how real fur is produced and explains why more national bans on fur factory farming are needed across Europe.

SARAJEVO, 5  APRIL 2019 - Today, international experts and lawmakers gather in the Bosnian Parliament for the opening of the Make Fur History exhibition. The exhibition, that was first launched in the European Parliament in 2018, addresses the adverse effects of fur production on animal welfare and the environment, and the urgency for the Bosnian ban on fur farming to go into effect sooner rather than later.

Opening speakers of the event include Marianne Thieme, member of the Dutch Parliament and leader of the Party for the Animals, Damir Arnaut, Bosnian MP and host of the event, Serbian Doctor of Sciences Aleksandar Knežević, and Richard Bissett, Member of the Fur Free Alliance board.

The Make Fur History exhibition, an initiative of the Fur Free Alliance, aims to inform Bosnian decision makers on the scientific evidence of the negative impact of fur farming on animals, nature and local communities and shows the wide public support and global shift to end fur farming.

In late 2017, the Bosnian government voted for a last-minute postponement of the fur farming ban, that was supposed to end fur production in 2018, for another 10 years. Animal advocates around the globe have urged the Bosnian government to stay committed and make an end to the widely condemned industry.

MP Arnaut says:

“The Parliament’s decision to postpone enforcement of the ban was not just ridiculous, but illegal too. Fur farms in Bosnia were illegal after the ban entered into force and in January 2018, but in February same year, they were legalized. The ban has to be restored.”

Bissett adds:

“Globally, momentum is with the anti-fur movement, and we have ethics and science on our side. This week, we’re seeing how the brilliant and vital work of campaigners in Bosnia–Herzegovina is paying off. The Make Fur History exhibition allows us to reveal the reality on fur factory farms, to present the facts about the animals bred and killed for their fur and to show why the fur industry belongs in the past.”

MP Thieme:

“The Dutch Fur Farming prohibition act was passed in January 2013 with a phase out period of ten years. The fur farmers went to court and after that they appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. The key legal question was; can a government strongly regulate property? The court confirmed this with a loud and clear yes. The ban is irrevocable and fully in force. There is no legal reason at all for the Bosnian parliament to postpone their fur farming ban.”

All throughout Europe governments are making significant steps to end fur farming. In the past year alone, Belgium, Luxembourg and Norway - once the world’s top fur producer- voted to ban fur production, and legislation against fur farming was introduced in Ireland, Estonia, and Lithuania.

With the 2009 Act, Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of the forefront of a Europe that is making an end to this barbaric industry. The extension of the phase-out period until 2028 is not in line with public opinion and the worldwide trend towards fur-free policies. The world continues to look at the Bosnian government to fulfill its commitment and put the cruel practice of fur farming to the dustbin of history

The Make Fur History event takes place on April 5th from 10:00 till 17:00. View the invitation here.

SOFIA, 22 MARCH 2019 - Yesterday, the opening of the exhibition 'The impact of fur farming' took place at the National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, in Sofia. The exhibition, organised by animal rights organization CAAI, exposes the facts about how real fur is produced and why a national ban on fur farming is needed in Bulgaria.

The 7-day exhibition aims to build awareness and inform decision makers on the adverse effects of fur farming on animal welfare and the environment. The event follows a successful National Citizens' Initiative campaign that showed the wide public support among Bulgarian citizens to close down the polluting and cruel industry of fur farming.

In June 2018, exactly 51 234 signatures were submitted to the Bulgarian parliament by the National Citizens’ Initiative, which seeks to bring about a ban on fur farming on the country’s territory. Along with the signatures, a proposal for an amendment to the current legislation was submitted, with the aim to 'prohitibit the raising, killing and trade of animals for fur production in the Republic of Bulgaria'.

Mark Glover, board member of Fur Free Alliance and campaign director of Respect for Animals, spoke at yesterday's well-attended opening:

“We very much hope that the Bulgarian government responds to the overwhelming evidence that fur farming is cruel as well as the voice of the people of Bulgaria who are opposed to fur farming. This outdated and cruel practice has no place in a modern progressive country. The National Citizens' Initiative and CAAI have done an amazing job in getting this issue raised in Bulgaria. The exhibition is fantastic and deserves to be seen by as many people- including politicians- as possible.”