Romanian MPs vote to ban chinchilla and mink fur farming
The Romanian Parliament has passed a law banning chinchilla and mink fur farming starting in 2027. The document is now headed to the Presidency for promulgation, a formality in the process. According to Humane Society International/Europe, Romania now becomes the 22nd country in Europe and 16th EU Member State to ban fur farming.
The bill was originally proposed after Humane Society International/Europe conducted a shocking undercover investigation exposing appalling conditions on fur farms in Romania. The country still has around a dozen such farms, including two large mink farms producing 100,000 pelts annually.
“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,” said Ruud Tombrock, executive director for Humane Society International/Europe.
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, according to the organization.
Animal rights organizations have campaigned intensively in recent years for the closure of fur farms, where chinchillas and minks are kept in extremely harsh conditions, as explained by Andreea Roseti, Director of Humane Society International Romania, in an interview with RFI.
In the farms, animals are caged for their entire lives. “Minks need water, but they never get the chance to bathe, to fish, to hunt, or to do anything that a normal animal would do in its natural environment, whether it's a mink or a chinchilla, as is the case in Romania,” Andreea Roseti said.
The Humane Society International Romania representative goes on to describe the "filthy wire cages, animals sitting in their own feces, often in the dark, so terrified that when the light is turned on and the door is opened, they already scream - their scream is their signal that danger is coming, because that's when people come, and that's when something bad happens."
In reply to a call to ban fur farming, the European Commission has committed to carefully assess the necessity for and feasibility of a ban on fur farming and the marketing of fur in the EU. Based on scientific advice from EFSA by March 2025 and further evaluation, the Commission will communicate by March 2026 if it considers appropriate to propose a ban, after a transition period.
There are estimated to be around 1,000 active fur farms in the EU for mink, fox and racoon dogs, with approximately 7.7 million animals. There is currently no specific EU animal welfare legislation covering animals kept for fur production. However, animals at fur farms are covered by EU rules on the protection of animals kept for farming purposes.
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.
(Photo source: Algimantas Barzdzius/Dreamstime.com)
