The lower house approved the measure with 339 votes, ordering fur-farm operators to wind down by Dec. 31, 2033.
Those shutting by 2031 will be eligible for compensation under amendments to the animal protection law.
Backing came from across the aisle: 150 lawmakers from the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), 100 from the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS), 30 from the Polish People’s Party (PSL), and all deputies from Poland 2050 and the Left.
All voting members of the far-right Confederation opposed it. Some PiS lawmakers voted against or abstained, one PSL lawmaker voted against.
“Most voters of every party wanted a ban,” said Anna Iżyńska-Tymoniuk of animal-rights group Otwarte Klatki, citing years of roughly 70% public support.
She called the decision “a breakthrough for millions of animals” and for rural communities affected by odor and flies near farms.
Iżyńska-Tymoniuk said Poland is the world’s No. 2 fur producer after China, killing about 3 million animals annually, and will now join more than 20 European countries that have outlawed the practice. She said the move could speed a Europe-wide “Fur Free Europe” push to end fur farming and block such products from the EU market.
The law’s design may accelerate shutdowns, she added, as compensation for closing by 2031 and falling demand make the business less profitable.
Lawmakers also increased severance for farm workers during the legislative process—from the equivalent of three months’ pay to 12 months—with employers able to seek reimbursement from the social insurance authority (ZUS).
Industry data point to a contraction already under way. According to Statistics Poland (GUS), the number of fur farms fell from 810 in 2015 (mainly mink) to 209 in 2024. Exports slid from more than 10 million pelts in 2015 to about 1.8 million in 2024.
(jh)
Source: PAP