Chancellor of Justice questions 12-year transition periods for fur farms

Yle has seen a memorandum in which the Chancellor of Justice calls on the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to clarify the scientific basis and proposed transition periods in a new regulation on fur farming.

The ministry submitted its draft regulation to the Office of the Chancellor of Justice for preliminary review in June. Yle obtained the memorandum through a freedom of information request.

The Chancellor of Justice criticised the way research findings have been used in the draft’s explanatory memorandum, describing the treatment of scientific research as fragmented and superficial.

The proposed regulation would set detailed requirements for the conditions and methods used to keep fur animals, including cage sizes. The Chancellor of Justice said the ministry must explain, on the basis of research, how the proposed arrangements meet the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act and improve the animals’ welfare.

The ministry must also clarify whether supporting the animals’ needs means fully meeting the legal requirements or only promoting them in part, according to the memorandum.

The Chancellor of Justice also questioned the length of the proposed transition periods, which are intended to give fur farms time to meet the new obligations. Some periods have been shortened from earlier proposals, but the longest would still be 12 years.

The ministry has justified the transition periods by citing the need to plan investments and structural changes. The Chancellor of Justice said those explanations were not convincing, noting that preparations for the regulation began in 2013 and that the Animal Welfare Act entered into force on January 1, 2024.

Last year, the Chancellor of Justice and the Deputy Chancellor of Justice had already questioned transition periods of up to 15 years. The Deputy Chancellor of Justice said the assessment of why such long periods were necessary had been limited.

The longer the transition periods, the longer the existing regulation issued under the 1996 Animal Protection Act would remain in force. If the new regulation takes effect as planned in 2027, the old regulation would continue to apply until 2039.

The new regulation is intended to improve the welfare of fur animals.