New EEA veterinary and phytosanitary standards 2026: what changes for exporters

Key data

Agri-food operators, livestock farmers and exporters of plant products working with countries in the European Economic Area not belonging to the EU —Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein— must review their procedures urgently. The Decision 112/2026 of the EEA Joint Committee, in force since 30 April 2026, modifies Annex I of the EEA Agreement and incorporates new EU legislation on animal health, controls of animal origin products and phytosanitary measures.

The concrete risk for companies is clear: those who do not adapt their documentation and health procedures to the new requirements may suffer border rejections or administrative sanctions. The regulation is already in force, although its official publication in the EU Official Journal took place on 23 July 2026.

What does this regulation establish?

Decision 112/2026 updates the Annex I of the Agreement on the European Economic Area, which is the legal framework governing veterinary and phytosanitary matters between the EU and the three non-EU EEA countries. In practice, this annex determines which EU health and phytosanitary standards apply in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

With this modification, new EU provisions are incorporated into the EEA framework in three specific areas:

• Animal health: new requirements or updates to existing ones applicable to the trade of animals and animal origin products.
• Controls of animal origin products: possible changes in inspection, certification and documentation procedures required at the border.
• Phytosanitary measures: update of conditions applicable to the export and import of plant products.

The mechanism of the EEA Joint Committee is the usual instrument for incorporating EU legislation into the legal system of these three countries. Each decision of this type can affect one or more EU regulations or directives, which become binding also in trade with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Economic and operational impact

The direct impact of this regulation is operational and documentary, not a fixed fee or cost. Affected companies must assume the costs associated with reviewing and updating their internal procedures, which may include:

• Review and update of the health and phytosanitary certificates used in exports to Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
• Possible adaptations in internal quality control and traceability to comply with new inspection requirements.
• Costs of veterinary or phytosanitary advice to validate that current procedures remain compliant.
• Risk of shipment paralysis if border authorities detect outdated documentation, with consequent logistics and commercial costs.

The cost of non-compliance can be significantly higher than the cost of preventive adaptation: a border rejection implies return costs, possible loss of perishable goods and reputational damage with the customer at destination.

Who does it affect?

• Exporters of animal origin products (meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey) to Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
• Importers of animal products from those three countries to the EU.
• Exporters of plant products (fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds) operating with non-EU EEA countries.
• Livestock companies that export live animals or animal genetic material to these destinations.
• Agri-food operators with supply chains that include Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein as origin or destination.
• Veterinary and phytosanitary advisors who certify exports to non-EU EEA.
• Customs agents and freight forwarders who manage documentation for these destinations.

Practical example

A Spanish meat company that regularly exports processed pork products to Norway uses a health certificate model and a pre-shipment inspection protocol. With the entry into force of Decision 112/2026, the requirements for animal health and control of animal origin products applicable in Norway may have changed, because Norway is obliged to incorporate the new EU legislation integrated into Annex I of the EEA Agreement.

If this company does not review whether its current health certificate remains valid under the new requirements, the shipment may be rejected at the Norwegian border. The cost of that rejection —return of the cargo, possible destruction of perishable product, contractual penalty with the customer— far exceeds the cost of a preventive review with its veterinary advisor before the next shipment.

The concrete action: contact the competent authority (in Spain, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) to confirm whether the certificate models used remain valid for exporting to Norway following Decision 112/2026.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify whether your company operates with Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein in animal or plant origin products. If so, this regulation directly affects you.
2. Review the health and phytosanitary certificates you currently use for your exports or imports with these countries. Check whether they remain compliant with updated EU legislation.
3. Consult with your veterinary or phytosanitary advisor to verify that internal control and traceability procedures comply with the new requirements incorporated into Annex I of the EEA Agreement.
4. Contact the competent Spanish authority (MAPA or the corresponding regional agriculture department) to obtain official confirmation on valid certificate models for each non-EU EEA destination.
5. Update documentary procedures before the next shipment. The regulation has been in force since 30 April 2026, so there is no pending adaptation period.
6. Inform your customs agent or freight forwarder about possible changes in required documentation, to avoid border incidents.

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_202601475