Norway needs to improve its import control system and veterinary checks of products of animal origin coming in to the country, according to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
The agency found that it is not guaranteed that all products of animal origin that enter the country in transit or for custom warehousing are subject to veterinary checks.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) has taken note of the shortcomings and has provided an action plan with deadlines that addresses the recommendations which is currently being reviewed by EFTA.
The authority visited Norway in January to verify that official controls related to import control systems and six out of 17 approved border inspection posts (BIPs) were visited to ensure compliance with European Economic Area (EEA) legislation.
The report shows that facilities at BIPs and veterinary import procedures in Norway are mostly in line.
However, it also identified shortcomings such as it is not guaranteed that all products of animal origin that enter Norway are subject to veterinary checks as they should.
Such as the BIP in Oslo airport, which is approved for non-packed products but appropriate facilities are not available and only packed products are received.
The agency found:
A lack of accurate knowledge concerning incoming products. Although the majority of checked goods were correctly pre-notified by operators there were not in all BIPs systematic cross-checks carried out to available cargo manifests or other sources of information
A lack of adequate veterinary checks before customs clearance for goods of animal origin in transit and for custom warehousing.
“The mission team found improvements since the last mission carried out in 2009 and that the BIP facilities and veterinary import procedures in general are in line with the EEA agreement and that Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) remains the competent authority,” said EFTA.
“The main problem noted was that the current customs procedure, which allows customs warehousing until the customs clearance, does not require veterinary checks before the transfer of consignments from the entry point to the warehouse.
“In addition, the current customs procedure allows transit of products of animal origin without veterinary checks carried out in a BIP.”
