Import bans - food of animal origin

Import bans are decided by the European Commission. On this page, you can see which import bans are currently in place.

Please note that food of animal origin and ingredients from outside the EU must be authorised for export to the EU; otherwise they are considered to be prohibited.

So, if importing food of animal origin from a non-EU country, you must always check that the country and the establishment are approved to import that particular food of animal origin to the EU

If not, your consignment will be considered as prohibited for import, just like in the case of import bans, which means that the consignment will be rejected with a decision to return or destroy it.

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The list of food of animal origin subject to import bans is constantly changing. Subscribe to our food import news service (Nyheter Livsmedelsimport) to receive all news and changes directly.
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The latest news on food imports is listed here (only in Swedish).
Food import news (Nyheter livsmedelsimport)

Horse meat

Meat and meat products from equidae imported from Mexico

The decision requires that each consignment of equine meat from Mexico be tested for substances having a hormonal action and for growth-promoting beta-agonists. At present, Mexico does not have an approved residue control plan for horse meat, as set out in Annex -I to Regulation (EU) 2021/405. For this reason, horse meat from Mexico cannot be imported into the EU.

The decision is in force until further notice.
Regulation (EU) 2021/405 laying down the lists of third countries or regions thereof authorised for the entry into the Union of certain animals and goods intended for human consumption in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625 - EUR-Lex
Decision 2006/27/EC on special conditions governing meat and meat products of equidae imported from Mexico - EUR-Lex

Fish products and molluscs

Molluscs, etc. from Albania

Imports of bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, marine gastropods and snails in all forms from Albania are prohibited. This is due to cholera in the country. The import ban also applies to live fish and shellfish transported in water, originating in or consigned from Albania.

The decision is in force until further notice.
Decision 2004/225/EC on safeguard measures with regard to certain live animals and animal products originating in or coming from Albania - EUR-Lex

Live crayfish from other EU and non-EU countries

The Swedish Government has banned the entry and import of live freshwater crayfish (of species in the families Astacidae, Cambaridae and Parastacidae) into Sweden. The ban applies to both imports from EU countries and imports from other countries. The storage and transport of live freshwater crayfish not caught or farmed in Sweden is also prohibited.

The aim is to protect the Swedish species of freshwater crayfish, the noble crayfish (Astacus astacus), from extinction. The noble crayfish as a species is threatened throughout its natural habitat. Alien crayfish species pose a major threat to the noble crayfish.

The import ban came into force on 1 August 2003 and is in force until further notice.
Species Protection Ordinance SFS 2007:845 on the prohibition of imports of live freshwater crayfish of certain species (SE) - Sveriges Riksdag

Molluscs from Turkey

There is an import ban on live and chilled bivalve molluscs originating in, or consigned from Turkey.
Regulation (EU) 2022/478 on imports of molluscs from Turkey - EUR-Lex

Food from Crimea or Sevastopol

It's prohibited to import goods originating from Crimea or Sevastopol into the EU due to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol.
Regulation (EU) No 692/2014 concerning restrictions on the import into the Union of goods originating in Crimea or Sevastopol - EUR-Lex