Pressmeddelande 28 augusti 2008
Jordbruksdepartementet

Total ban on cat and dog fur

Today the Government will present to the Council on Legislation its legislative proposal on penalties for those selling or distributing cat and dog fur or products containing such fur.

On 11 December 2007 the EU member countries agreed to introduce a ban on the possession of cat and dog fur, and of products containing such fur, for sales, imports and exports.

The origin of this ban is that in some countries, brutal methods of killing dogs and cats are used when manufacturing fur products. The purpose of the legislation is to ensure that consumers can be certain that cat and dog fur is not marketed.

"It is very positive that there will be a law to combat this brutal handling of animals," says Minister for Agriculture Eskil Erlandsson.

Under the legislative proposal, the Ministry of Agriculture is to monitor compliance with the legislation. The Swedish Customs and the Swedish Police Service will otherwise be responsible for prosecuting infringements of the ban.

Under the law, it will be possible to sentence those infringing the ban to fines. The ban on the import and export of fur products will entail criminal liability under the Act on Penalties for Smuggling.

It is proposed that the law enter into force on 31 December 2008.