Norway and the European Union have renewed their agreement on the export of Norwegian seafood products to the EU for the period 2014-2021 for another seven years. The new agreement implies not only that several duty-free import quotas will continue at the same or a higher level, but also that new duty-free quotas for Norwegian seafood products will be opened.
"The EU is the most important market for Norwegian seafood, and several duty-free quotas provide increased export opportunities for both the fisheries and aquaculture industries," assessed the Norwegian Fisheries and Oceans Minister, Cecilie Myrseth.
"Seafood is one of our most important export industries, and with this agreement, we have improved the terms of trade for important seafood products that are processed in Norway," she added.
Among the products that maintain their quotas in this new agreement are frozen herring fillets and peeled and frozen shrimp, while marinated herring is not only maintained but sees its quota increase from 11,400 to 28,000 tons per year. Products such as processed salmon, smoked salmon and frozen shelled prawns, as well as certain types of fish with low tariffs, have seen the EU create new quotas for them.
The agreement reached will apply for the period 2021 to 2028 although the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries warned that, due to EU approval procedures, it will take some time before the duty-free quotas come into force.
However, the EU and Norway failed to reach an agreement to maintain duty-free import quotas for mackerel. Norwegian government stressed that, despite this, the country still has a large permanent quota for frozen whole mackerel, and it is also exported duty-free to the EU market in the period from February 15 to June 15.
"Norway wanted to maintain the market conditions for Norwegian mackerel to the EU, but the EU was not willing to do so. It was justified by the disagreement about the management of mackerel," Minister Myrseth explained. "From the Norwegian side, we have been keen to maintain the distinction between market access and management because they are two completely different issues," she continued.
The Norwegian government considers resource management to be a dynamic process in which biological conditions and annual fluctuations must be taken into account. Therefore, in their view, it is not appropriate to link market access negotiations and resource management issues.
Nevertheless, they wanted to clarify that in case the duty-free import quotas are not fully utilized by April 30, 2028, it will be possible to export the remaining volume up to two years after the end of the agreement period, until April 30, 2030.
On the other hand, on the same day it announced the renewal of its agreement with the EU, the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean also announced the agreement with Greenland to maintain the current year's quota level and continue good fisheries and research cooperation.
Greenland's quota in the Barents Sea for 2024 is set at 4,000 tonnes of cod, 750 tonnes of haddock, 650 tonnes of pollock, and 425 tonnes of bycatch of other species.
The Norwegian cod quota, for its part, is 1350 tonnes, and the halibut quota is 30 tonnes. Moreover, it will be continued the Norwegian halibut quota of 900 tonnes in West Greenland and 375 tonnes in East Greenland. The schooling quota in East Greenland will be 50 tonnes and the quota for demersal redfish will continue at 500 tonnes. The bycatch quota will continue at 325 tonnes.
"Norwegian fishermen make good use of the quotas in Greenland, and I am satisfied that Norway and Greenland have agreed on a quota agreement for 2024," said Norwegian Fisheries and Oceans Minister.
