Parliament passes bill banning fur farming in Poland
Breeding animals for fur will be banned and breeders will have to phase out their operation by the end of 2033 under a bill passed by the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament on Friday.
The bill gained an overwhelming majority in the lower house, with 339 MPs voting in favour, 78 against and 19 abstaining.
Most deputies representing both the ruling coalition and the main opposition party supported the bill, while all MPs from the far-right Confederation were against.
The amended legislation, authored by Malgorzata Tracz, an MP of the senior ruling coalition partner, the centrist Civic Coalition, was filed with the Sejm by MPs representing KO and two junior ruling partners, the centre-right Poland 2050 and The Left.
Under the bill, breeders will have to shut down their farms by December 31, 2033.
They will be able to claim compensation from the government, which will be gradually decreasing, from 25 percent of their 2020-2024 annual average revenue if they end their operation by January 1, 2027, to 5 percent if they do it by January 1, 2031. After that date, no compensation will be paid.
The bill will now go to the Senate and, if approved, to the president for his final signature. (PAP)
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