a ban on fur imports from the us has been called off by the European Union (eu) after accepting an assurance from Washington to phase out steel-jawed leghold traps, used in catching animals, within six years.
A majority of the eu ambassadors accepted the latest offer from the us which improved on earlier proposals to ban traps within eight years. But the us commitments still fall short of those given by Canada and Russia, the two other countries which use the same sort of traps to phase them out within five years. The eu has sided with animal welfare activists who say that steel-jawed traps cause unnecessary suffering. But the us had argued that banning them could threaten the livelihood of trappers most of whom live in remote areas.
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