EFTA Surveillance Authority

05/18/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/18/2022 09:20

ESA calls on Iceland to comply with EEA rules for fish-oil production

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) has today delivered a letter of formal notice to Iceland requesting the country to comply with EEA rules that set standards in relation to raw materials used in the preparation of fish oil. Iceland must also strengthen its official controls concerning the production of fish oil or fishmeal unfit for human consumption.

Iceland is required under EEA rules to ensure that the raw materials and production process used to produce both fish oil for human consumption and fish oil or fishmeal not for human consumption at the same premises meet strict food hygiene requirements in order to avoid cross-contamination and associated public health risks.

ESA conducted a veterinary mission to Iceland in May 2017 to evaluate official controls of EEA feed safety requirements during which shortcomings concerning official controls of production of fish oil were identified. Today's letter of formal notice is being issued following numerous requests sent to Icelandic without adequate response.

ESA therefore concludes that Iceland has failed to undertake official controls to verify that fish oil not for human consumption produced at the same premises as fish oil for human consumption meets necessary food-hygiene requirements. In addition, Iceland has since the 2017 mission, adopted national regulation contradicting the EEA rules concerning raw materials used in the preparation of fish oil.

A letter of formal notice is the first step in infringement proceedings against an EEA EFTA State. The Icelandic Government now has two months to express its views before ESA decides whether to take the case further.

Read ESA´s letter of formal notice here.