New EEE veterinary and phytosanitary standards 2026: what exporters and importers must do

Key data

Spanish operators in the agri-food, livestock and phytosanitary sectors that trade with non-EU EEE countries —Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein— have new obligations from April 30, 2026. The Decision 117/2026 of the EEE Joint Committee amends Annex I of the EEE Agreement, which is precisely the one that regulates all veterinary and phytosanitary matters in that expanded space.

The decision was published in the Official Journal of the EU on July 23, 2026, but its entry into force is retroactive to April 30, 2026, the date it was adopted by the Joint Committee. This means that the obligations are already active.

What does this regulation establish?

The EEE Agreement extends the EU internal market to Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. For this to work, both parties must apply the same rules in key areas such as animal and plant health. When the EU approves new legislation in these areas, the EEE Joint Committee must formally incorporate it into the Agreement through a decision.

That is exactly what Decision 117/2026 does: it incorporates new European animal and plant health legislation into the EEE scope, updating Annex I of the Agreement. In this way, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are obliged to apply the same standards as EU Member States in these matters.

The regulated areas that are updated are:

• Animal health: requirements for the movement, import and export of live animals between the EEE and third countries, as well as between EEE countries themselves.
• Animal products: health conditions for the marketing of products such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs and derivatives.
• Plant health (phytosanitary): requirements for the export and import of plants, plant reproductive material and plant products.

The regulatory homogeneity pursued by this decision is key to the expanded internal market: without it, border controls between EEE countries would multiply and trade would be hindered.

Economic and operational impact

For Spanish companies, the impact is mainly operational and compliance-related. This decision does not establish new fees or tariffs, but it does update the technical and documentary requirements that must be met to operate in the EEE market.

The main economic risks arising from non-compliance are:

• Border rejection: goods that do not meet the new standards may be rejected at the border inspection posts of Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, with the cost of return, destruction or re-export that this entails.
• Administrative sanctions: non-compliance with updated veterinary and phytosanitary requirements may result in sanctions by the competent authorities, both in the destination country and in Spain.
• Suspension of operations: while border incidents are resolved, shipments are held up, with the logistical and perishable costs that this entails.

For companies that regularly operate with these markets, the cost of a preventive compliance review is significantly lower than the cost of a border rejection of a perishable cargo.

Who does it affect?

• Spanish exporters of live animals, meat products, dairy, fish, eggs and derivatives to Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
• Spanish importers of animals, animal products, plants or plant products from Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
• Livestock sector operators that trade in the EEE space with live animals or genetic material (semen, embryos).
• Agri-food sector companies that include suppliers or customers in the three non-EU EEE countries in their supply chain.
• Phytosanitary operators: nurseries, seed producers, plant traders and plant reproductive material with activity in the EEE.
• Customs advisors and agents that manage foreign trade operations with these countries.

Practical example

A Spanish exporter of Iberian ham and cured meats that has a regular customer in a distributor in Oslo (Norway) must verify that its health certificates, traceability controls and export documentation comply with the updated standards incorporated into the EEE Agreement by Decision 117/2026.

If the new animal health requirements incorporated into Annex I of the EEE Agreement require, for example, new models of veterinary certificates or new health labeling conditions, and the company continues to use the previous formats, the shipment may be held or rejected at Norway's border inspection post. The cost of that rejection —return of the cargo, possible destruction of perishable product, contractual penalties with the customer— can far exceed the cost of a preventive documentary review.

The same applies to an importer of Norwegian salmon who must ensure that their supplier complies with the updated standards before the goods reach the Spanish border.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if you operate with Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein: review your customer and supplier portfolio. If there are operations with these three countries in the field of animals, animal products, plants or plant products, this regulation directly affects you.
2. Review current health and phytosanitary documentation: check that veterinary certificates, traceability records and export/import documentation are updated in accordance with the new standards of Annex I of the EEE Agreement.
3. Contact your official veterinarian or the competent phytosanitary service: the competent authorities in Spain (MAPA and autonomous communities) are those that issue official certificates. Confirm with them whether the current models already incorporate the new requirements.
4. Inform your customs agent: ensure that the operator managing your customs clearances knows about the changes and is applying the correct documentation in each operation.
5. Review contracts with EEE customers and suppliers: if contracts include liability clauses for border rejections or regulatory non-compliance, update the conditions if necessary.
6. Monitor future updates: the EEE Joint Committee periodically updates Annex I. Establish an alert system so you don't miss future changes that may affect your activity.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: 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_202601496