No more “fashion victims” in Poland! The country has officially introduced a total ban on the farming of animals for fur, becoming the 18th European Union nation to make such a decision. This is a historic step, given that until now Poland has represented the largest fur producer in Europe and the second in the world, after China.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has signed the law that puts an end to a bloody business that breeds around 3 million foxes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas in captivity every year and then kills them in the name of fashion. However, the stop will not be immediate: the farms will have until 31 December 2033 to cease their activities.
A decisive step in animal protection
The introduction of the ban was welcomed with enthusiasm by animal rights associations, in particular by Humane World for Animals Europe, which has been fighting for years to put an end to this brutal chapter. The ban represents a response to growing ethical and scientific concerns about the conditions in which animals are confined and exploited on these farms. In fact, the ban was approved by the Sejm (the lower house of the Polish Parliament) and the Senate last month, thanks to a broad cross-party political consensus.
In Poland the decision comes shortly after the scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority, which declared that animal suffering on fur farms is systematic.
“This is a historic moment for animal protection in Poland, putting an end to the suffering and death of millions of animals raised for their fur. – commented Iga Głażewska-Bromant, director of Humane World for Animals Poland – Fur farming is not part of Polish heritage, and the majority of the Polish population opposes this cruelty, as demonstrated by opinion polls and more than 76,000 signatures submitted recently.”
A message for Europe
The recent Polish decision follows the European Citizens’ Initiative “Fur Free Europe,” which gathered 1.5 million signatures across the European Union calling for a complete ban on the production and sale of fur. However, everything is still at a standstill: the official response from the European Commission should arrive by March 2026.
A strong message was sent from Poland towards the member states of the European Union that still allow this inhumane practice. Currently, only Finland, Denmark, Spain, Hungary and Greece continue to allow the farming of animals for fur production. Across the European Union, around 6 million animals are still bred and sacrificed for fashion on almost 1,200 farms.
However, the practice is already banned, in whole or in part, in 24 Member States, including Romania, which introduced the ban in 2024, and Lithuania, which did so in 2023. In Italy the ban on breeding animals (such as mink, foxes, raccoons, chinchillas) for the production of fur came into force on 1 December 2022. Now it is up to the EU to put an end to it once and for all. all.
Sources: Humane World for Animals Europe/Fur Free Alliance
