A regulation banning the production, marketing, import and export of both dog and cat fur throughout the European Union (EU) was approved in December 2007 and will apply from December 2008. Over recent years European consumers have increasingly raised strong objections to both the farming of dogs and cats for their fur and to the possibility that they may unknowingly purchase unlabelled products made from dog or cat fur. Consequently, 15 member states brought legislation into force, at a national level, to address consumer concerns including: prohibiting the rearing of cats and dogs for fur purposes, banning the production and/or import of products containing cat or dog fur and instigating specific labelling requirements. It was thought that variations between national laws would be likely to hamper the free movement