BRINGING COMMONSENSE TO BRUSSELS

Date:  25/09/2003 

North West MEP demands outright ban on cat and dog fur trade

Euro MP David Sumberg is demanding urgent action is taken by the European Commission to stamp out the alarming increase in the trade of cat and dog fur in Europe.

This week in the European Parliament in Strasbourg Conservative MEPs officially launched a campaign against the fur trade.

Mr Sumberg said secretly filmed video footage has revealed items such as full-length German shepherd coats and golden retriever blankets, gloves and linings in ski-boots are being sold in Denmark, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Austria.

"Over two million cats and dogs are raised each year in cruel conditions in Asia and then slaughtered solely for their skins and furs,' he said. "The United States has banned the trade completely, which is why Asian merchants are moving their exports to Europe instead. It is therefore absolutely critical the European Commission gets a grip on this worrying trend urgently before niches are created and greater harm is done."

Mr Sumberg added that in November last year, at a Council of Ministers of Agriculture meeting,  nine of the fifteen Agriculture Ministers formally asked the European Commission to ban the import, export and sales of these furs and skins throughout the EU.  So far, the EC has consistently refused to do this. Conservative MEPs have now increased the pressure on the EC and submitted a written  declaration for signature by all MEPs on a cross-party basis demanding an immediate EU-wide ban.