End fur farming within Europe and prohibit commercial exchanges of fur products with nations outside the EU economic region.
In a persistent call for ethical and environmental reasons, the Green Alliance has been urging the Spanish government to shut down mink farms and ban the fur industry. This plea comes amidst concerns about public health, animal welfare, and the environment.
Despite a majority of citizens disapproving and many member states banning fur farms partially or completely, the issue remains a persistent problem in Europe. The specific agencies responsible for the lax legislation on fur farms in Spain, leading to the establishment of many foreign fur companies, are not clearly detailed.
The Green Alliance has taken an active role in this matter, participating in the public consultation on the European Citizens' Initiative "Europe free of fur", which collected over 1.5 million signatures across Europe. The alliance calls for the European initiative to be approved and fur farms to be prohibited, citing reasons of safety, animal and human health, and environmental sustainability due to their significant impact on biodiversity.
The "Europe free of fur" initiative aims to definitively close fur farms and ban the sale of fur products in the EU. This move is not unprecedented, as several countries, including the UK, Croatia, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Japan, have already banned and closed American mink fur farms.
However, Spain seems to be lagging behind, with plans for the fur industry to continue expanding. The number of fur farms in Spain has decreased, but their size has not, with some facilities housing up to half a million animals. These animals live in small cages in overcrowded conditions, increasing health risks and completely opposed to the natural living conditions of a solitary and territorial species.
The practices on fur farms are associated with animal cruelty. The production of fur involves animals living in small cages before being gassed, electrocuted, or bled for their pelts, including mink, foxes, rabbits, otters, cows, chinchillas, and others.
The lack of effective regulation in Spain has turned the country into a refuge for entrepreneurs who profit at the expense of animal lives. The "Europe free of fur" initiative is an example of successful citizen engagement in the European Union's legislative process, having surpassed the threshold of one million signatures from at least seven member states.
The Green Alliance has also called for the definitive closure of fur farms and a ban on EU market access for fur products from fur farms. As more nations join the movement towards a fur-free future, Spain is encouraged to take note and close the fur industry, following the lead of other countries that have already taken similar steps.
