The trade in cat and dog fur has been banned in all EU member states after new rules entered into force at the beginning of this year.
The comprehensive set of rules bans all imports, exports and intra-community trade in cat and dog fur and products containing their fur.
Originally, the European Commission had proposed this ban in November 2006, due to evidence that cat and dog fur was being placed on the European market, usually undeclared or disguised as synthetic or other types of fur.
Diverging national bans on cat and dog fur threatened to disrupt the single market. Malta had no legislation until the enactment of EU laws.
The vast majority of cat and dog fur is believed to be imported from third countries, notably China, where they rear these animals specifically for their fur.
The Commission's proposal for regulation was adopted by the European Parliament and the EU's Council in December 2007. It assures citizens that, through a harmonised approach, cat and dog fur will no longer be sold anywhere in the EU.
Cat and dog fur, occasionally found on the EU market in the past, provoked a strong response from EU consumers, who demanded that measures be taken to prevent such fur and fur products from being sold in the EU.
Tens of thousands of Europeans, who keep these animals as pets, sent protest letters to the Commission and handed petitions to Members of the European Parliament.
In a statement issued in Brussels yesterday, European Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou welcomed the new rules and said European consumers can now be confident that they will no longer be at risk of inadvertently purchasing products containing cat or dog fur.
"This ban reflects the profound attachment Europeans have to cats and dogs as companion animals only, and their total rejection of this appalling practice," she said.
According to the Commission, it was very difficult to quantify the amount of cat and dog fur entering the EU market, since this type of fur was mainly used as a fraudulent substitute for more expensive fur, often falsely or imprecisely labelled and used in barely noticeable quantities in certain products.
Through the new rules, member states are now responsible to test fur products at the point of entry and/or on the market.