The northern town of Monza in Italy is famous for being home of the Formula 1 Grand Prix. In 2004, they became the first Italian city to ban goldfish bowls from being used to house a goldfish. The town council passed an ordinance that banned certain treatment of domestic animals. The ordinance bans the sale of colored chicks at fairs, the use of small animals as competition prizes as well as outlawing goldfish bowls.
So, apparently the reasoning is that goldfish bowls distort the view of reality perceived by the goldfish and therefore the goldfish suffers. A goldfish bowl also rarely has a filter to properly clean the water for the fish and provide with adequate oxygen. The ordinance only pertains to people in the city of Monza, not the entire country. Many people across the country have criticized and made fun of the ordinance. The city council stands by their decision saying that it holds a valuable lesson for young children and is in place to educate them.