"Regardless of the current parliament's recent decision to allow fur farming in Estonia, the topic will come under discussion even more intensely already during the new parliamentary membership," Kadri Taperson, head of Loomus, told BNS. "Estonia definitely does not want to play the role of the chaser, and we should be motivated by the wish to be among the winning and progressive countries."

According to a survey carried out by pollster Kantar Emor at the end of December, altogether 69 percent of people in Estonia do not support raising and killing animals for the benefit of acquiring fur.

The vast majority of the members of the Czech Senate on Friday approved a bill which will ban fur farming completely from 2019 onwards. The Czech Chamber of Deputies voted in favor of the ban in June. The law will now be sent to the president, who has to sign it within 15 days or send it back to parliament.

According to the bill, fur farms in the Czech Republic will be closed on Jan. 31, 2019, and the farmers will be able to apply for financial compensation to cover long-term financial commitments. There are nine fur farms in the country that raise a total of 20,000 minks and foxes.

Lucie Moravcova, representative of Czech animal rights organization Svoboda zvirat (“Freedom for Animals”), said that the Senate's decision on Friday reflected the development of values all across of Europe.

"Awareness in society has increased. Protection is given to those who cannot protect themselves. Banning fur farming is a historical milestone for animal protection in the Czech Republic," Moravcova said.

Fur farms are banned in the United Kingdom, Austria, Croatia, Netherlands, Macedonia, Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, the German states of Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Schleswig-Holstein, and in the Wallonia region of Belgium. Fox farming is banned in Denmark and Sweden. The welfare requirements for animals in fur farms are so strict in Italy and Switzerland that no fur farms exist in those countries anymore.