- Fur Free Alliance. Fur bans. Website last accessed 2026-06-04.
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Dismantling the Fur Industry
Historical achievements
There are still millions of fur animals farmed in Europe, but most of the fur industry has been phased out due to stricter regulations, fur free retailers and national bans. On this page you can read more about historical achievements for fur animals.
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On this page
What has happened
The fur industry was introduced to Europe in the early 1900s and grew rapidly. Foxes, mink, raccoon dogs and chinchillas were kept in small cages for people to sell their fur. Since then, thanks to Project 1882 and the global alliance of other animal rights organisations, animal welfare concerns have become more prominent in society. Several investigations have led to restrictions and the phasing out of most of the fur farms. A large majority of countries in Europe are in the process to, or have already phased out, all fur farms.(1) Since 2026 there is a suggested fur farming ban in Sweden, directly related to over 50 years of advocacy work from Project 1882.
Historical achievements
Fur Free Europe
The European citizens' initiative Fur Free Europe ended on March 1, 2023, more than two months ahead of schedule. This was thanks to a record number of signatures already collected from EU citizens.
In less than 10 months, more than 1.5 million people signed the petition calling for an EU ban on fur farming and trade in fur products. For the initiative to move forward in the political process, it required at least 1 million validated signatures.
The citizens' initiative Fur Free Europe was launched in May 2022, endorsed by Project 1882 together with more than 80 other organizations in Europe. The aim was, and still are, to ban fur farming and trade in fur products throughout the EU.
The initiative has been presented in a hearing in the European Parliament, and the European Commission decided to appoint the European Food Safety Authority with an inquiry on fur animal welfare. The results show large animal welfare deficiencies in the current fur farming systems, which is now used as the foundation for new legislation that is promised in 2026.
Project 1882 continues to work for all parties to agree that fur farming has no place in the future and that a ban is the only reasonable way forward. It is a good time for European politicians to take the opportunity to express their support for a ban at EU level. Project 1882 has long campaigned for a complete phase-out of the fur industry and this is an important step towards making it a reality.
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Support our work for fur animals!
Project 1882 works for the animals that are the most exploited and suffer the worst. Thanks to your support, we can continue improving the situation for fur animals and dismantle the fur industry.