United Kingdom, the government will ask citizens whether to ban fur

The need for tougher rules on the fur trade comes following the UK's exit from the European Union's single market.

UK citizens will be asked to have their say on the ban fur trade throughout the country.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs English (Defra) has proposed a consultation on the various measures aimed at introducing stricter standards for animal welfare after the Brexit.The social and economic impact of fur sales, both in the UK and abroad, will be taken into consideration.Based on the response it will receive from the population, it is not excluded that the government could introduce the absolute ban of the sale of furs.

The fur trade in the United Kingdom

The UK was the first country in Europe to ban fur farming in 2003.Before introducing stricter rules, the importation of leather and fur from commercial hunting seals and from dogs And cats domestic has long been permitted.But the problem remains for all the others, whose sale is still legal throughout the country.With Brexit, however, things could change:Now that the UK is no longer bound by the European Union's single market rules, which have prevented any country from taking a unilateral position on the fur trade, the Government is mulling the introduction of stricter animal welfare measures.Especially regarding sales in shops, not so much those between private individuals.

It is an important step forward that follows the individual initiatives of several designers and fashion brands - including Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Michael Kors, Versace, Ralph Lauren, Alexander MacQueen, Balenciaga – who had already eliminated animal fur from their collections.Taking sides against this decision is the British Fur Trade Association, which maintains that, if ethically sourced, fur is natural the best antidote to fast fashion, harmful to the environment and to people.

The words of the environment secretary George Eustice

“We already have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and how independent nation we are now in a position to review some of our laws, including that onimport of fur to be used in fashion garments,” said the Environment Minister George Eustice.“The views, data and case studies we receive will be vital in helping us inform future government policy in this area, including through better understanding of commerce both at home and abroad."Already in 2018 the Minister of the Environment, Zac Goldsmith, dear friend of the Prime Minister Boris Johnson (as well as his wife Carrie Symonds, who has also been an animal rights activist for some time), had defined the fur trade as one of the saddest human activities.