Veterinary and phytosanitary standards EEA 2026: what changes for exporters and importers

Key data

If your company exports or imports animals, meat products, dairy, vegetables or any product of animal or plant origin with Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, this regulation is already in force and you must act. The Decision 119/2026 of the EEA Joint Committee, published on July 23, 2026 in the Official Journal of the EU, updates Annex I of the EEA Agreement—the framework that regulates veterinary and phytosanitary matters between the EU and non-EU EEA countries—with new European regulations on animal and plant health.

The entry into force date is April 30, 2026, prior to the official publication itself, which means the requirements are enforceable from that date. Companies that have not reviewed their procedures are already at risk.

What does this regulation establish?

The EEA Agreement allows Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to participate in the EU internal market without being member states. To do so, they must apply the same European regulations in key areas, including animal and plant health. Annex I of the EEA Agreement is the instrument that sets out which EU regulations also apply in those three countries.

Decision 119/2026 modifies that Annex I to incorporate new European regulations approved in the field of:

• Animal health: new rules on control of animal diseases, conditions for import and export of live animals and animal products.
• Plant health (phytosanitary): new requirements on pests, inspections and conditions for marketing of plants and plant products.

The objective is to ensure regulatory homogeneity in the enlarged internal market: that the same rules that apply in Spain also apply in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. This directly affects border controls and the documentation required in each commercial transaction.

Economic and operational impact

The impact is not a new fee or additional tariff, but a change in technical and documentary requirements that condition market access. The specific operational consequences are:

• Border rejections: If sanitary or phytosanitary documentation does not comply with the new requirements, the authorities of Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein may reject the shipment at the point of entry. This means loss of goods, return or destruction costs and reputational damage with the customer.
• Administrative sanctions: Non-compliance with veterinary and phytosanitary requirements may result in sanctions by the competent authorities, both in the destination country and in Spain.
• Review of certificates and documentation: Companies must update the sanitary and phytosanitary certificates accompanying their shipments to reflect the new standards incorporated into the EEA Agreement.
• Adaptation of suppliers: Spanish importers receiving goods from these three countries must also verify that their suppliers comply with the new standards before accepting shipments.

Who does it affect?

• Spanish exporters of live animals, meat, dairy products, eggs, fish and other animal products destined for Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
• Spanish importers receiving animals, animal products, plants or plant products from Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
• Livestock sector operators trading in breeding animals, production animals or animal genetic material in the EEA area.
• Agri-food sector companies whose supply chain includes ingredients or raw materials of animal or plant origin from the three non-EU EEA countries.
• Phytosanitary operators: nurseries, seed producers, plant traders and plant reproductive material marketers operating in these markets.
• Advisors and customs agents managing foreign trade operations with Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein in these product categories.

Practical example

A Spanish company exporting processed meat products has a regular customer in Norway to which it sends monthly shipments. Until now, the sanitary documentation accompanying the shipments complied with the requirements of the current EEA Agreement.

With the entry into force of Decision 119/2026 on April 30, 2026, Annex I of the EEA Agreement incorporates new European animal health regulations. If the company has not updated its sanitary certificates to reflect the new standards, the Norwegian veterinary authority may reject the next shipment at the border. The result: perishable goods retained, destruction or return costs, and possible loss of the customer.

The solution is to review with the official veterinarian or competent authority (in Spain, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) what new sanitary certificate models are required to export to Norway following the update of Annex I, and update procedures before the next shipment.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if you operate with Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein in any of the affected categories: live animals, animal products, plants or plant products. If so, this regulation already applies to you from April 30, 2026.
2. Review the sanitary and phytosanitary documentation accompanying your exports and imports. Contact your official veterinarian or the competent regional authority to confirm whether current certificates remain valid under the new Annex I.
3. Consult the updated text of Annex I of the EEA Agreement through the official source on EUR-Lex to identify the specific regulations incorporated and their specific requirements.
4. Communicate the change to your suppliers and customers in the affected non-EU EEA countries, so they also update their documentation in shipments directed to you.
5. Update internal procedures for quality control and regulatory compliance to include verification of the new EEA veterinary and phytosanitary standards in each transaction.
6. Consult a specialist advisor in agri-food foreign trade if you have doubts about what specific regulations have been incorporated into Annex I and how they affect your specific product.

Official source

Consult complete regulations 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_202601502