New EEA veterinary and phytosanitary requirements 2026: what exporters and importers must do

Key data

If your company exports or imports animals, animal products or plant products to or from Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, this regulation affects you from now on. Decision 116/2026 of the EEA Joint Committee, adopted on 30 April 2026 and published on 23 July 2026, amends Annex I of the EEA Agreement on veterinary and phytosanitary matters, extending new EU animal and plant health regulations to the EEA area.

In practice, this means that the technical and health standards already applied within the EU are also updated for trade with these three countries. If your certification procedures do not reflect the new requirements, your shipments may be rejected at the border.

What does this regulation establish?

The European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement allows Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to participate in the EU internal market without being full members. For this to work, the EEA Joint Committee periodically updates the annexes of the Agreement to incorporate the latest EU legislation.

Decision 116/2026 specifically amends the Annex I of the EEA Agreement, which regulates veterinary and phytosanitary matters. With this amendment:

• New EU regulations on animal health are incorporated into the EEA scope.
• New EU regulations on plant health are incorporated into the EEA scope.
• The three non-EU EEA countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) are required to apply these new standards in their import and export controls.
• Companies operating in these markets must adapt their certification procedures and health controls.

The EEA Agreement is the legal framework that ensures that agri-food trade with these countries is governed by rules equivalent to those of the single market. Whenever the EU updates its health regulations, the Joint Committee must transfer them to the Agreement through decisions such as this one.

Economic and operational impact

The impact is not tariff-related: there are no new fees or tariffs associated with this decision. The economic risk is operational and compliance-related: if the health documents accompanying your shipments do not comply with the new technical requirements, the border authorities of Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein may reject the goods.

The direct consequences of a border rejection include:

• Cost of return or destruction of rejected goods.
• Loss of commercial value of the shipment.
• Possible administrative sanctions at origin or destination.
• Reputational damage to the receiving customer.
• Supply chain delays and contractual penalties.

For companies in the agri-food and livestock sector that regularly operate with these markets, reviewing certification procedures is a low-cost preventive action compared to the cost of a border rejection.

Who does it affect?

• Spanish exporters of live animals to Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
• Exporters of animal products: meat, dairy, eggs, fish, processed meat products, etc., destined for these three countries.
• Exporters of plant products: fruits, vegetables, seeds, plants and other regulated phytosanitary products.
• Spanish importers bringing animals, animal products or plant products from Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
• Logistics operators and customs agents managing health documentation for these trade flows.
• Livestock sector companies with international commercial activity towards non-EU EEA.
• Agricultural and agri-food cooperatives with regular exports to these markets.

Practical example

A Spanish meat company that regularly exports animal products to Norway has a health certificate model that it has been using in recent years. With the entry into force of Decision 116/2026 on 30 April 2026, the technical requirements of Annex I of the EEA Agreement have been updated to reflect the new EU animal health regulations.

If this company does not review whether its current health certificate remains valid under the new standards incorporated, its next shipment may be detained at the Norwegian border control. The rejection would involve bearing the costs of return or destruction of the goods, in addition to possible penalties agreed with the Norwegian customer for failure to meet delivery deadlines.

The correct action is to contact its official veterinarian or foreign trade advisor to verify that the certificate models and internal health control procedures are aligned with the new requirements of the amended Annex I.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if your company exports or imports animals, animal products or plant products to or from Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. If so, this regulation directly affects you.
2. Review the health certificates in use: check with your official veterinarian or foreign trade advisor whether the current certificate models remain valid under the new requirements of the amended Annex I.
3. Update internal health control procedures for trade with the three non-EU EEA countries, incorporating the new required technical standards.
4. Contact the competent health authorities (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or regional governments) for information on the new applicable certification models.
5. Inform your customers and suppliers in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein of the adaptation process, especially if shipments are scheduled in the short term.
6. Document the adaptation: in case of inspection or complaint, having evidence of the review and update process strengthens the company's position.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=OJ:L_202601494