The European Commission is set to reject calls for an EU-wide ban on fur farming, opting instead to propose stricter animal-welfare standards for the sector, according to an internal draft communication seen by POLITICO. The undated document, setting out Brussels’ long-awaited response to the “Fur Free Europe” European Citizens’ Initiative, indicates the Commission believes species-specific welfare rules, rather than prohibition, represent the “most appropriate follow-up” to the campaign backed by more than 1.5 million EU citizens. Animal Welfare Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi is expected to steer the file through the final stages of internal consultation in the coming days, as the executive races to meet its self-imposed deadline to outline next steps by the end of March. The draft marks a significant setback for campaigners and several member countries that had hoped the Commission would seize the initiative to phase out fur farming across the bloc. The citizens’ petition, one of the largest ever submitted under the EU’s participatory mechanism, triggered a formal legal obligation for Brussels to assess possible legislative action. Instead, the Commission’s preliminary conclusion is that outright bans would carry “significant economic impacts” for the remaining fur-producing regions while failing to achieve the intended welfare gains if production simply shifts to third countries. The draft does not spell out what stricter welfare rules would look like in practice. The Commission would aim to propose legislation setting EU-wide standards for mink, foxes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas by the end of 2027. The document cites changing consumer attitudes as part of its rationale for the fur trade to continue. It says that buyers who continue to purchase fur “increasingly place importance” on how animals are treated and on broader sustainability concerns, suggesting that tougher and more transparent welfare rules could help shape remaining demand. But the standards-first approach has not been without resistance inside the Commission. The plan follows weeks of internal wrangling in Brussels, with some senior officials pushing to explore a ban. People familiar with the discussions said the cabinet of Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera ultimately accepted the standards-based route, while seeking a clearer and potentially faster legislative timeline. The decision could still face political headwinds. Several governments are pressing the Commission for clarity on its intentions, and diplomats say the issue is likely to resurface at upcoming meetings of EU agriculture ministers. The Commission’s stance contrasts with the findings of the European Food Safety Authority, which warned in a 2025 scientific opinion that the cage-based production systems used in fur farming lead to major welfare problems for animals. Many of these cannot be substantially mitigated without an overhaul of the current system, EFSA concluded. The document also underscores how sharply the sector has already declined. Fewer than 1,000 fur farms remained active across the EU in 2024, employing roughly 2,000 people, with production increasingly concentrated in a limited number of member states, including Finland, Greece and Spain.

BRUSSELS — The European Commission will not set up a new financing scheme to expand abortion access in Europe, rejecting a proposal backed by nearly 1.2 million European citizens. The Commission however said countries could use an existing fund to help women pay for abortion services. But first they may need to amend programs covered by this fund. The My Voice, My Choice citizens’ initiative called for the EU to establish a voluntary, opt-in financial mechanism to help countries provide abortion care to women who can’t access it in their own country and who choose to travel to one where they can. The European Parliament voted to support it in December. Some MEPs who opposed it said it infringed upon EU and national rules. The Commission said Thursday it “it is not necessary to propose a new legal instrument” because “EU support can already be provided relatively quickly by Member States willing to do so under existing instruments.” Countries can use the European Social Fund plus, the Commission said, “if in accordance with their national laws, to provide such support.” This has a budget of €142.7 billion and is largely used to support employment and welfare services. “The ESF+ can support the efforts of these Member States, while granting them autonomy to determine how and under what conditions access to safe and legal abortion will be provided,” the Commission said. “The Commission and My Voice, My Choice want the same thing: the highest standards of health for women in Europe,” Equality Commissioner Hadja Lahbib told POLITICO. “We are reaching our shared goal by using the tools in our hands. Until now, these tools had not been used. From now on, we will use them.” “The funding is there. Member States can act immediately, and we are ready to support them,” Lahbib said.

Listen on * Spotify * Apple Music * Amazon Music The EU is taking a careful seat at Donald Trump’s first meeting of the Board of Peace — sending Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, but not signing up to the initiative. What does that say about Brussels’ strategy toward Washington? POLITICO has also obtained a letter from nine EU countries urging the European Commission to explore the possibility of an EU fund to support cross-border abortion access — a move that could reopen one of Europe’s most sensitive debates. Finally, the Commission wants to accelerate trade deals by giving their English versions a head start — allowing political approval to move ahead before all 24 official language translations are finalized, which would trim months off the process. Zoya Sheftalovich is joined by Sarah Wheaton. Please get in touch with your comments and ideas for future topics — you can reach us at our WhatsApp number: +32 491 05 06 29. **A message for Amazon: Today's episode is presented by Amazon. Sixty percent of sales on Amazon come from independent sellers. Across Europe, over two hundred and eighty thousand Small and Medium Enterprises partner with Amazon to grow their business. Learn more at Aboutamazon.eu. **

BRUSSELS — A coalition of European left parties has launched a call for signatures to force the European Commission to suspend the EU’s association agreement with Israel over Gaza. Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement in October, Israel has kept attacking targets in the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, drones and tanks, prompting the pro-Palestinian movement to renew its calls for the EU to take action against Israel. The coalition — led by France’s La France Insoumise, Spain’s Podemos, Portugal’s Bloco de Esquerda, and Nordic left parties — has launched a European Citizens Initiative titled “Justice for Palestine” calling on the EU executive suspend ties with Israel over its “genocide against the Palestinian population, and its ongoing violations of international law and human rights.” If the initiative receives a million signatures from at least seven EU counties — a likely outcome given the popularity of the issue — the Commission will be forced to state which actions, if any, it will take in respond to the initiative. “The EU pretends everything is back to normal, but we will not turn a blind eye to what is happening in Gaza,” said MEP Manon Aubry, the leader of La France Insoumise, adding the “EU is helping to finance genocide” by not suspending trade relations with Israel. More than 100 children have been killed since the ceasefire agreement was signed in March, UNICEF said Tuesday. The Commission already proposed in November to suspend some parts of the association agreement and to sanction some “extremist ministers” in the cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But parts of the package were never implemented because they required unanimous approval from EU countries. After the ceasefire was reached the Commission proposed withdrawing the measures; the issue has remained frozen ever since. Foreign ministers from numerous EU countries as well as the U.K., Norway, Canada and Japan sharply criticized an Israeli decision to bar 37 international non-governmental organizations from providing aid to Gaza. The humanitarian situation in the besieged territory remains dire, with many living outdoors in winter weather. Four people were killed on Tuesday when a storm caused buildings that had been damaged in the war to collapse, according to local media.