Poland’s Sejm Extraordinary Committee for Animal Protection approved as the lead text a ruling-coalition proposal to shut fur farms and fund compensation and layoffs.
Lawmakers amended the bill to extend the phaseout to end-2033 from 2029, adopting a change authored by PSL lawmaker Jarosław Rzepa.
The committee considered two competing drafts. A proposal from PiS, Confederation and Kukiz’15 envisaged a 15-year transition with no compensation. A rival text from Civic Coalition, Poland 2050 and the Left sought an earlier ban (excluding rabbits) and a compensation scheme.
Under the lead bill, farmers would receive payments from the state based on their 2020–2024 average annual revenue and the shutdown date—the earlier they exit, the more they receive. Operations ending by Jan. 1, 2027 would get 25% of that average, with the rate reduced by 5 percentage points each year to 5% in 2031.
Workers at closing farms would receive severance equal to 12 months’ pay, up from three months in an earlier draft. Employers could seek reimbursement of severance from the social insurance authority (ZUS).
The bill moves to a second reading in the lower house of Poland’s bi-cameral parliament, the Sejm.
(jh)
Source: PAP