The European Union has today (Friday, July 18) officially added the American mink to the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union Concern.

Originally brought to Europe for fur farming purposes, mink have established wild colonies which pose a threat to native wildlife, such as the endangered European mink.

22 European countries, 16 of which are member states, have already banned mink farming, including Ireland.

However, roughly six million mink are still being farmed in members states including Spain, Poland, Greece and Finland despite a continuous drop in demand.

Under the new regulation, member states will be now be required to prohibit the breeding, sale, keeping, transport and release of American mink.

Member states will also be required to offer compensation and re-employment schemes in a bid to support fur farmers required to stop fur farming.

The EU is considering issuing permits to fur farmers under a derogation system, however, animal protection charity Humane World for Animals Europe is warning this could effectively let fur farmers 'sidestep' the ban.

Senior director of public affairs with the charity, Dr. Joanna Swabe, said: “Including the American mink on the list of invasive alien species sends a strong message that the ecological and ethical costs of mink farming can no longer be tolerated.

"It should give member states a clear legal foundation to shut down mink fur farms. However, there is a risk it could be side-stepped by a handful of countries that persist with fur farming."

Humane World for Animals Europe said this ban should accelerate the closure of mink farms in places like Spain, as it is already starting to close fur farms under its biodiversity strategy.

The charity warned that countries still involved such as Finland, Denmark and Greece will avoid the ban if exemptions are granted.

The charity has highlighted to the European Commission the 30-year extension given to Finland and Poland in 2019 following the ban of racoon dog farming, despite what it said is evidence of the ecological threat they posed.

The charity added that 1.5 million EU citizen have signed a petition to ban mink fur farming for ethical, ecological and animal welfare reasons.