New veterinary and phytosanitary standards in the EEA: what agrifood companies must do in 2026

Key data

Agrifood and livestock companies operating in the European Economic Area face new obligations from 20 March 2026. The EEA Joint Committee Decision 61/2026 updates Annex I of the EEA Agreement—the chapter dedicated to veterinary and phytosanitary matters—incorporating new EU legislation on animal and plant health.

The practical effect is direct: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are required to apply exactly the same standards as EU Member States in these areas. For Spanish companies exporting or importing products with these countries, this means that market access requirements are harmonized, but also that any new European standard automatically becomes mandatory in those destinations.

What does this regulation establish?

Decision 61/2026 amends Annex I of the EEA Agreement, which regulates veterinary and phytosanitary matters between European Economic Area member countries. Through this amendment, the latest legislative updates approved by the EU are incorporated into the EEA regulatory framework in two major areas:

• Animal health: new standards on control of animal diseases, certification requirements for the movement of animals and animal products between EEA countries.
• Plant health (phytosanitary): update of requirements applicable to trade in plants, plant products and plant propagation material within the EEA.

The mechanism is the usual one under the EEA Agreement: when the EU approves new legislation in these matters, the EEA Joint Committee adopts a decision to incorporate it into the Agreement and make it applicable also in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Regulatory harmonization is the central objective, ensuring that market access conditions are equivalent throughout the EEA.

The regulation may involve specific changes in any of these operational areas:

• Procedures for health control at border or at origin.
• Requirements for official certification for products of animal or plant origin.
• Traceability obligations throughout the supply chain.
• Conditions for registration or authorization of operators in non-EU EEA countries.

Economic and operational impact

Regulatory harmonization has a double-edged effect for companies. On one hand, it facilitates trade within the EEA by eliminating regulatory divergences between the EU and the three non-EU countries of the Area. On the other, it may generate new compliance obligations that involve operational costs.

The main economic and operational impacts to consider are:

• Review of health certificates: if the official certificate models have been updated by the new EU legislation incorporated, operators will need to use the new formats in their operations with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
• Adaptation of traceability systems: new registration or labeling requirements may require updates to internal management systems.
• Training of compliance personnel: quality, export and logistics teams must understand the specific changes introduced to avoid border rejections or incidents in official controls.
• Commercial opportunity: greater regulatory homogeneity reduces regulatory uncertainty and can facilitate entry or consolidation in markets such as Norway, one of Europe's leading importers of agrifood products.

Who does it affect?

• Spanish exporting companies that send products of animal or plant origin to Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
• Importers that bring agrifood products from those three countries into the EU.
• Livestock operators that trade in live animals or derived products within the EEA.
• Phytosanitary sector companies: nurseries, seed producers, plant propagation material traders.
• Food industry that uses raw materials of animal or plant origin from non-EU EEA countries.
• Logistics operators and customs agents that manage health documentation for these trade routes.
• Foreign trade advisors and food quality consultants that serve companies in these sectors.

Practical example

A Spanish exporting company of processed meat products that regularly sells to distributors in Norway must verify whether the new EU legislation incorporated into Annex I of the EEA Agreement through Decision 61/2026 modifies the official health certificate models required for export.

If the certificates have been updated, the operator will need to:

1. Request the new applicable certificate models from its official veterinarian or the competent authority.
2. Update its export documentation templates before the next shipment.
3. Inform its Norwegian customer of the documentary change to avoid problems in the import border control.

The direct cost of this adaptation is mainly time and internal management, but the cost of not doing so can be the retention or rejection of goods at the border, with the storage, return or destruction expenses that this entails.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if you operate with Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein in products of animal or plant origin. If so, this regulation directly affects you.
2. Review the health and phytosanitary certificates you currently use in your exports or imports with these countries and verify if they have been updated by the new legislation incorporated.
3. Consult with the competent authority (MAPA in Spain, or the corresponding agriculture department) about the specific changes in certification requirements applicable to your products.
4. Update internal procedures for traceability, labeling and export documentation if the new requirements so require.
5. Train the export and quality team on the changes introduced to avoid documentation errors that could cause border rejections.
6. Communicate to your business partners in non-EU EEA countries the documentary changes that may affect ongoing operations.

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_202601254