30 January, 2008. Kyiv. Consumer Society and Citizen Networks, a joint initiative of the European Union and United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine, held a workshop for journalists "Quality and safety of fur products" to promote access of citizens to information on goods and services in Ukraine.
Anatoliy Livyy, president of the Ukrainian Association of Furriers told journalists about the history of fur industry in Ukraine, outlined the origins of professional associations and current problems affecting the industry. "Despite enforced customs supervision procedures, Ukrainian market is flooded with a large number of counterfeited, low-quality, smuggled fur produce", he said. "A consumer must, therefore, be extremely cautious and well-informed while choosing a fur coat or a fur hat", he urged.
Fur product manufacturers also voiced their concerns regarding counterfeits and informed the workshop participants about modern technology used in fur raw material processing and tailoring, spoke of the ways to properly define the quality of fur, as well as provided tips on how to choose an original product from a counterfeited one.
"Not only raw material skinned from an infected animal may pose substantial hazards to a customer. But when buying a fur product the consumer has to bear in mind that chemical solutions, paint and even water with which the product was treated over the technological process can also pose a threat to a person wearing it", the experts warned.
Considering all this, the participants were provided with recommendations as to what documents have to be requested from sellers of fur products. "A fur product that has no accompanying hygienic, veterinary certificate or a document certifying its origin should be regarded as potentially unsafe for consumers", the experts underlined. They strongly recommended that buyers demand seeing corresponding documents containing this important information.
"Quality and safety of fur products" workshop has been organized by the Consumer Society and Citizen Networks, a joint initiative of the European Union and United Nations Development Programme. Its goal is to promote access of citizens to information on product safety, consumer rights protection, and to results of independent testing, as well as promoting wide public discussion of challenges facing the consumer society in Ukraine.
For more information about the Project's activities, please, visit www.consumerinfo.org.ua
30.01.08
