NORWAY AND THE EU HAVE RENEWED THEIR AGREEMENT ON MARKET ACCESS FOR NORWEGIAN SEAFOOD

Norway and the EU have renewed their agreement on market access for Norwegian seafood. More duty-free quotas for important products will be retained, and the EU will open new quotas for processed salmon, smoked salmon and frozen shell prawns.

“The EU is the most important market for Norwegian seafood, and more duty-free quotas provide increased export opportunities for both the fisheries and aquaculture industries. Seafood is one of our most important export industries, and with this agreement we have achieved improvements in trading conditions for important seafood products processed in Norway, says Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Cecilie Myrseth.

In parallel with the negotiations on the new EEA and Norway Grants, Norway and the EU have negotiated a revision of the fisheries protocol from the period 2014–2021. The agreement that now exists will apply for the period 2021 to 2028, and entails that several duty-free import quotas for Norwegian seafood will be maintained at the same or a higher level. This applies, among other things, to marinated herring, frozen fillet of herring and frozen, peeled shrimp. The duty-free quota for marinated herring will be increased from 11,400 to 28,000 tonnes per year.

The EU will also establish new quotas for processed salmon, smoked salmon and frozen shell prawns, as well as for certain fish species with low tariff rates.

No consensus on mackerel

There was no agreement between the Norway and the EU to continue duty-free import quotas for mackerel. Norway still has a large permanent quota for frozen, whole mackerel and there is also duty-free for export to the EU market in the period 15 February to 15 June.

“Norway wanted to maintain market conditions for Norwegian mackerel to the EU, but the EU was not willing to do so. This was justified by the disagreement over the management of mackerel. Norway has focused on maintaining the distinction between market access and management because these are two completely different issues,” says Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Cecilie Myrseth.

Norway argued that it is not appropriate to link the negotiations on market access and resource management issues. Resource management is a dynamic process where biological conditions and annual fluctuations must be taken into account.

The quantity of the duty-free allowances that should have been allocated back to 1 May 2021 is distributed over the remaining period from entry into force so that the actual size of the allowances is higher than the annual quantities negotiated. In the event that the duty-free import quotas are not fully utilised before 30 April 2028, it will be possible to export on the residual volume of these for up to two years after the end of the agreement period, i.e. until 30 April 2030.

It will take time for the duty-free quotas to come into force

Due to approval procedures on the EU side, it will take some time before the duty-free quotas come into force.

Postponing the possibility of using the quotas until well into 2024 poses a challenge for the part of the industry that produces and exports semi-finished products of herring. The tariff goes to 20 percent for such products, which is very challenging and can affect a significant number of jobs.

“We have been very explicit towards the EU: Norwegian industry must have access to the duty-free quotas as quickly as possible into 2024. We have been promised that the European Commission will do its best to process quickly, but the timing is beyond our control, says Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Cecilie Myrseth.

The agreement with the EU also means that the system of transit for EU vessels’ catches through Norway will be continued.

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