Date: 2022-03-25Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/482 of 16 March 2022 on the request for registration of the European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Fur Free Europe’ pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document C(2022) 1530) (Only the English text is authentic)
Executive Summary:
This Commission Implementing Decision EU 2022/482, dated 16 March 2022, concerns the registration of the European citizens' initiative "Fur Free Europe." The initiative aims for an EU-wide ban on keeping and killing animals for fur production, and on placing farmed animal fur and related products on the EU market. The Commission has determined that the initiative meets the conditions for registration under Regulation EU 2019/788.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Initiative Objectives:**
* Achieve an EU-wide ban on keeping and killing animals for the sole or main purpose of fur production.
* Prohibit the placing of farmed animal fur and products containing such fur on the EU market.
* **Grounds for Registration:**
* The initiative's objectives, aiming to improve the functioning of the internal market, fall within the Commission's power to present proposals for legal acts based on Article 114 TFEU.
* A legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties can be adopted for provisions necessary for the pursuit of the objectives of the common agricultural policy on the basis of Article 43(2) TFEU.
* The group of organizers fulfills the requirements laid down in Article 5(1) and 5(2) of Regulation EU 2019/788 and has designated the contact persons in accordance with Article 5(3).
* The initiative is not manifestly abusive, frivolous, vexatious, or contrary to Union values and fundamental rights.
* **Commission's Position:**
* Registration does not imply the Commission confirms the factual correctness of the initiative's content; this is the sole responsibility of the organizers.
* The initiative's content only expresses the views of the organizers and does not reflect the Commission's views.
* **Decision:**
* The European citizens initiative "Fur Free Europe" is registered.
Impact Analysis:
* Group of Organisers of the Citizens Initiative "Fur Free Europe"
* Impact: The initiative they proposed has been officially registered by the European Commission.
* Action Required: Continue with the next steps in the European Citizens' Initiative process, such as collecting signatures of support.
* European Commission
* Impact: The Commission will need to consider the initiative and its objectives, but its registration does not imply endorsement.
* Action Required: Monitor the progress of the initiative and assess it based on its merits and the level of public support it receives.
* EU Citizens
* Impact: Citizens interested in animal welfare and the fur industry can now officially support the initiative.
* Action Required: If supportive, citizens can sign the initiative to show their support and encourage further action.
* Fur Industry
* Impact: The initiative, if successful, could lead to significant changes in the fur industry, potentially resulting in bans on fur farming and the sale of fur products.
* Action Required: Monitor the progress of the initiative and prepare for potential changes in regulations.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
European Commission: An institution of the European Union, responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the EU.
Regulation EU 2019/788: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European citizens initiative.
European Parliament: The directly elected parliamentary body of the European Union.
Council of the European Union: A body composed of government ministers from each EU member state to discuss, amend and adopt laws and coordinate policies.
Fur Free Europe: A European citizens initiative requesting an EU-wide ban on fur farming and the sale of fur products.
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union: One of the primary treaties upon which the European Union is founded.
Brussels: The de facto capital city of the European Union, located in Belgium, where the Commission Implementing Decision was signed.
L 98/82 EN Official Journal of the European Union 25.3.2022
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2022/482
of 16 March 2022
on the request for registration of the European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Fur Free Europe’ pursuant
to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(notified under document C(2022) 1530)
(Only the English text is authentic)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the
European citizens’ initiative(1), and in particular Article 6(2) and (3) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) A request for registration of a European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Fur Free Europe’ was submitted to the
Commission on 25 January 2022.
(2) The objectives of the initiative as expressed by the organisers in the annex to the initiative are ‘to achieve an EU-wide
ban on: (a) keeping and killing of animals for the sole or main purpose of fur production; (b) placing farmed animal
fur, and products containing such fur, on the EU market’.
(3) An annex and an additional document provide further details on the subject matter, objectives and background to
the initiative, by setting out and detailing the reasons to support the end of fur farming. The organisers claim that
fur farming is inherently cruel, since the vast majority of animals kept for its production are still essentially wild,
while a clear majority of Union citizens wants to see fur farming banned. Fur farming poses a risk to animal and
human health as well as to native biodiversity. The organisers refer to some Member States’ initiatives to eliminate
fur production at national level. At the same time those national divergences lead to a distortion in the Union’s
internal market, justifying in their view, an EU-wide outright ban under Article 114 TFEU. They also claim that the
marketing of farmed fur and products containing such fur should not be allowed in the Union.
(4) As regards the objectives of the initiative to achieve an EU-wide ban on both fur farming and fur commercialization
in the Union, insofar as they aim at improving the functioning of the internal market, the Commission has the power
to present proposals for legal acts on the basis of Article 114 TFEU. In addition, as regards the objective to achieve an
EU-wide ban on fur farming, a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties can be adopted for
provisions necessary for the pursuit of the objectives of the common agricultural policy on the basis of Article 43(2)
TFEU.
(5) For those reasons, none of the parts of the initiative manifestly falls outside the framework of the Commission’s
powers to submit a proposal for a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties.
(6) This conclusion is without prejudice to the assessment of whether the concrete factual and substantive conditions
required for the Commission to act, including compliance with the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity
and compatibility with fundamental rights, would be met in this case.
(1) OJ L 130, 17.5.2019, p. 55.25.3.2022 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 98/83
(7) The group of organisers has provided appropriate evidence that it fulfils the requirements laid down in Article 5(1)
and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 and has designated the contact persons in accordance with Article 5(3), first
subparagraph, of that Regulation.
(8) The initiative is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious, nor is it manifestly contrary to the values of the Union
as set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and rights enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of
the European Union.
(9) The initiative entitled ‘Fur Free Europe’ should therefore be registered.
(10) The conclusion that the conditions for registration under Article 6(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 are fulfilled does
not imply that the Commission in any way confirms the factual correctness of the content of the initiative, which is
the sole responsibility of the group of organisers of the initiative. The content of the initiative only expresses the
views of the group of organisers, and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Commission,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Fur Free Europe’ shall be registered.
Article 2
This Decision is addressed to the group of organisers of the citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Fur Free Europe’, represented by Ms
Elise FLEURY and Ms Agnese MARCON acting as contact persons.
Done at Brussels, 16 March 2022.
For the Commission
Věra JOUROVÁ
Vice-President