legislative proposal by mps van velzen and waalkens concerning a ban on fur animal farming act banning fur animal farming 14 pages in english . in the netherlands foxes chinchillas and mink are kept for fur production. pursuant to the decree designating animals that are kept for production purposes foxes and chinchillas may be kept for production purposes until no later than 1 april 2008. no provisions have as yet been made to end mink farming. the legislative proposal concerns an initiative by members of the house of representatives of the dutch parliament. the legislative proposal prohibits in general the killing or having killed of animals with the sole or main view of obtaining their fur. since this ban also provides for the keeping of mink the legislative proposal introduces a transitional regime for ending mink farming in the netherlands. the legislative proposal leaves the transitional regime for keeping foxes and chinchillas as laid down in the above-mentioned decree designating animals that are kept for production purposes - intact. the legislative proposal provides for a 10-year transitional period so as to give mink keepers the opportunity of recouping their investments. it is not the intention of the mps in question to promote that during the discussion of the legislative proposal new companies are established or for existing mink farms to be extended after 17 january 2008. this is why in principle mink keepers will only qualify for the 10-year transitional period who from 17 january 2008 kee mink as fur animals on a continuous basis or who did not kee mink as fur animals on 17 january 2008 but who on 17 january 2008 already had the required licences and shelters for keeping mink. in order to do justice to the intention to end mink farming indefinitely in due course those who have taken over a mink farm after 17 january 2008 will not qualify for transitional legislation unless the transfer has taken place under extenuating circumstances on the part of the transferring party. extenuating circumstances however apply only when the mink farmer is suffering great financial damage because as a result of sudden incapacity for work he is no longer in a position to kee mink the mink farm forms part of a community to be divided and the mink farm as equity capital has to be sold in order to be able to divide the community or upon reaching the age of 65 he is not prepared or unable to continue the mink farm. when there are no extenuating circumstances transfer of a mink farm after 17 january 2008 means that the party obtaining the mink farm will once the legislative proposal has entered into effect not qualify for the transitional period and will need to cease the mink farm activities. mink farmers are of course free to close down their mink farms prematurely or convert them into other businesses. conditions to qualify for the transitional period in order to qualify for the transitional period mink farmers must notify the minister for agriculture nature and food quality within four weeks of the act entering into effect. they need to impart the following information the number of mink they are allowed to kee in accordance with their licences the number of shelters that were available on 17 january 2008 at the mink farm the number of mink they kee at the time of registration the place or places where the mink are kept on 17 january 2008 and the place or places where the mink are kept at the time of registration. moreover they must meet the following conditions during the transitional period they need to have complied with the above-mentioned notification obligation they need to kee the mink in a shelter that at least meets the requirements laid down in the regulation on standards for welfare standards for mink ppe 2003 as these read on 17 january 2008 they must not at any time kee more mink than the number of mink for which a licence as referred to in article 8.1 of the environmental management act has been issued they must not at any time kee more mink than the number of shelters whi