20 DECEMBER 2016 – In a historic ruling the Dutch Supreme Court has decided that the mink farming ban does not conflict with human rights, as was claimed by the Dutch mink farmers, and shall be upheld. This final verdict concludes a long ongoing battle in court of the Dutch Federation of Fur Holders against the government in an attempt to defy the ban and sets a significant precedent for other EU countries that are currently considering fur farming bans.

Read the verdict of the Supreme Court in English.

Read the verdict of the Supreme Court in Dutch.

The Netherlands is the fourth biggest fur farming country in the world after China, Denmark and Poland. On 160 mink fur farms, employing some 1400 people, nearly 6 million animals are killed for fur each year in The Netherlands. The law states that is illegal to breed and kill animals for fur since it can not be ethically justified. In 2024, after an 11-year changeover period, the needless suffering of animals on fur farms will finally have come to an end in the Netherlands.

Photo: Vilius Paskevicius

Ever since Dutch Parliament voted for a ban in 2013, mink farmers have set out to defy the ban in court. According to the Dutch mink farmers the ban is in breach with their fundamental rights of protection of property – as it is set out in the First Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights. Their claims are rejected by both the verdict of the court in The Hague and the verdict of the Supreme Court .

According to the Dutch Supreme Court a fur farming ban is not in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. There is a fair balance between the protection of the fundamental rights of the fur farmers and the public interest served by the law. The law allows fur farmers enough time for a return of investment during the transition period and thus includes sufficient measures to compensate farmers for financial loss. Therefore the Supreme Court decided to maintain the earlier ruling of the court.

The final verdict means a huge victory for animals and will have a far-reaching impact on fur farming debates worldwide. Parliamentary discussions on similar fur farming bans are currently taking place in Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic and Luxembourg.