EUROPEAN UNION RELAXES SANCTIONS ON RUSSIAN SABLE FUR, ANIMAL WELFARE GROUPS PROTEST

Rome - Humane World for Animals, formerly known as Humane Society International, has expressed deep disappointment at the European Union's decision to remove Russian sable fur from the list of products subject to sanctions against Russia. The move comes in response to requests from Italy and Greece, the EU's two main buyers of Russian sable fur.

EUROPEAN UNION RELAXES SANCTIONS ON RUSSIAN SABLE FUR, ANIMAL WELFARE GROUPS PRO

The decision has been criticized by Humane World for Animals as "an unjustifiable concession to the fur industry." Two parliamentary questions - one submitted to the European Commission by MEP Annalisa Corrado (S&D) and the other to the Italian Foreign Minister and Minister of Economic Development by MP Eleonora Evi (PD) - aim to shed light on the EU's choice to remove "a non-essential good" from the sanctions list.

MP Eleonora Evi stated: "We ask the Italian government to clarify the reasons that led it to solicit the exemption for Russian sable fur at the EU Council, a request that is inexplicable and shameful. Exemptions should be reserved exclusively for essential goods, while sable is a non-essential product, destined solely for the luxury market."

MEP Annalisa Corrado added: "In light of the EU's sanction regime objectives, we ask the European Commission to clarify its choice, also on behalf of the 1.5 million people who have signed the 'Fur Free Europe' Citizens' Initiative and dream of an Europe without fur."

Humane World for Animals is calling on the European Commission to immediately re-add Russian sable fur to the list of sanctioned goods and to respond promptly to the 'Fur Free Europe' initiative, which it should have followed up on by March 2026. The organization also emphasizes that the only acceptable proposal from the Commission would be a definitive ban on animal farming for fur production within the EU, in line with the "One Health" approach recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

A group of experts in zoonotic diseases highlighted in a scientific article in The Lancet that fur farming represents a preventable public health risk that cannot be effectively mitigated by introducing animal welfare controls and standards.

Dr. Joanna Swabe, Director of Institutional Relations at Humane World for Animals Europe, commented: "By approving an exemption for Russian sable fur, the European Commission seems to be giving more weight to the fur industry than to the 1.5 million citizens who have called for a fur-free Europe. This decision is at odds with public opinion and common moral sense, and must be revoked."

Martina Pluda, Director of Humane World for Animals Italy, concluded: "It is paradoxical that Italy, which since January 2022 has banned animal farming for fur production, recognizing the incompatibility of this industry with animal welfare and public health, is now advocating for the exemption of a product that it itself has deemed unacceptable."