Veterinary and phytosanitary standards EEA 2026: what agri-food companies must do

Key data

Agri-food and livestock companies operating in the European Economic Area have new obligations from February 6, 2026. The Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No. 1/2026 amends Annex I of the EEA Agreement, which regulates veterinary and phytosanitary matters, incorporating updated European legislation that is now also applicable in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

If your company exports or imports products of animal or plant origin to or from these three countries, this decision directly affects you. The official publication took place on May 21, 2026, but entry into force is retroactive to February 6, 2026.

What does this regulation establish?

The EEA Joint Committee is the body that ensures that the three EEA countries not belonging to the EU—Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein—apply the same European internal market legislation as EU member states. When the EU updates its regulations, the Joint Committee must formally incorporate them into the EEA Agreement through decisions such as this one.

This decision amends Annex I of the EEA Agreement, which is the specific annex dedicated to veterinary and phytosanitary matters. The practical result is that updated European legislation on animal health, plant health, official controls and traceability requirements becomes enforceable in the territory of those three countries.

The regulatory harmonization introduced by this decision has a dual effect: on the one hand, it facilitates trade within the EEA by eliminating regulatory divergences between EU countries and non-EU EEA countries; on the other, it may entail new obligations for operators who until now were not subject to certain European requirements when operating in those markets.

Economic and operational impact

The direct economic impact of this regulation does not translate into fixed fees or amounts established in the decision itself. The cost for each company will depend on its current compliance situation with respect to the new incorporated requirements. The main vectors of operational cost are:

• Review and update of internal control procedures to verify that they comply with updated European legislation.
• Certification costs if the new requirements require additional documentation for the export or import of animal or plant products to non-EU EEA countries.
• Adaptation of traceability systems if the new incorporated European standards require additional records or identifications in the supply chain.
• Training of personnel responsible for health and phytosanitary controls to ensure knowledge of new requirements.

On the positive side, regulatory harmonization reduces regulatory complexity for companies that already comply with current European legislation, since the requirements imposed in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein align with those already applied in EU markets. This can simplify document management and reduce barriers to access to those markets.

Who does it affect?

This decision affects all companies that operate with products of animal or plant origin in the European Economic Area, especially those with commercial activity with Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein:

• Exporting companies of products of animal origin (meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, honey and derivatives) to Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
• Importing companies of animal or plant products from those three countries.
• Agri-food industry that uses raw materials of animal or plant origin from non-EU EEA in its production processes.
• Livestock sector that carries out movements of live animals or exchange of genetic material with those countries.
• Phytosanitary sector operators that trade in plants, seeds, plant propagation material or phytosanitary products within the EEA.
• Advisors and consultants who provide services to companies in the above sectors and must update their regulatory knowledge.

Practical example

A Spanish company exporting processed meat products that until now exported to Norway under a determined framework of requirements must verify whether the updated European legislation incorporated into the EEA Agreement through this decision introduces new health certification standards or new traceability requirements applicable to its shipments.

If the incorporated European legislation includes, for example, new models of official health certificates or new traceability labeling requirements, the company must update its export documentation before making new shipments to Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. Failure to do so may result in rejection of the goods at the border or the opening of a sanctioning file by the competent authorities of the destination country.

Similarly, a Spanish importing company that receives fresh plant products from Norway must verify that the phytosanitary certificates accompanying those products comply with the new European standards incorporated into the EEA Agreement, since the control authorities at the Spanish border will verify compliance with the updated regulations.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if your company operates with animal or plant products in the EEA: Review whether you export or import to or from Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. If so, this regulation directly affects you.
2. Consult the full text of the decision: Access the Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No. 1/2026 on EUR-Lex to identify exactly what European legislation has been incorporated into Annex I of the EEA Agreement.
3. Review current control and certification procedures: Compare your current procedures with the new incorporated requirements to detect possible compliance gaps in health or phytosanitary certification.
4. Verify traceability systems: Check that your record and traceability systems for animal and plant products comply with the updated European standards that are now enforceable in the EEA.
5. Update export and import documentation: If the new requirements affect the certificates or documents accompanying your products, update the templates and procedures before the next shipment.
6. Inform the operations and logistics team: Ensure that the people responsible for export and import procedures know about the regulatory changes and know what documentation is required.