Fisheries control rules 2026: what the new EU requirements mean for manufacturers and distributors in Sweden

The EU's rules for controlling fisheries and trade in fishery products are now entering a new phase. The revised Fisheries Control Regulation tightens the requirements for how fish and seafood can be tracked throughout the entire chain — from catch or farming to import, processing, distribution and sale. The aim is to make controls more digital, more uniform and more efficient, while giving authorities and market players better opportunities to detect errors, combat illegal fishing and ensure accurate information for customers and consumers. The European Commission describes the reform as a transition to a fully digitalised control system “from the net to the plate”.

For companies in Sweden that manufacture, pack, label, import or distribute fish and seafood, this means that traceability can no longer be treated as a separate quality issue or as a matter of labelling alone. Traceability instead becomes a central part of how the companies involved document product flows, manage batches, communicate data to customers and demonstrate regulatory compliance during inspections and audits. At the same time, labelling, item data and digital information transfer become more important than before, as the right information must be available, connected between systems and follow the product when batches are divided, combined or repackaged.

What is the revised Fisheries Control Regulation?

The legal basis for the change is found in the EU's updated Fisheries Control Regulation. Through Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 The previous regulatory framework from 2009 is being modernised and the EU is taking a major step into the digital era. In short, the aim is to move from a system where information has sometimes lived its own life in binders, Excel files and email threads – to a system where data is actually connected throughout the chain.

We understand the ambition: better digitalization, better data control and above all better traceability. At the same time, it should be more difficult for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing to sneak through the system. Or, to put it a little simpler: each fish should have a clearer “CV” as it moves through the market.

Most of the new rules come into effect 10 Januari 2026, which means that many companies already need to review how their traceability and information flows work in practice. But the EU has also chosen to introduce certain parts gradually.

For example, rules about remote monitoring and electronic tracking of small fishing vessels apply first 2028. Traceability requirements for prepared and preserved fish products and algae coming even later – 2029.

This means that it is above all fresh and frozen fishery and aquaculture products which is affected first. For those products, 2026 kick-off for the new, more digital traceability system.

In other words: if your product recently swam in the ocean – then it's high time to review how information about it moves through your business.

Why is the EU doing this?

The background to the reform is actually quite simple: the EU has discovered over several years that the traceability of fish and seafood has not always been... completely watertight.

When the Commission reviewed how the previous regulatory framework worked, it became clear that many Member States were working with a mix of digital systems, paper documents, Excel sheets and sometimes even a bit of “we know roughly where this came from”. The result was information chains where some parts worked well – while others had clear gaps.

For control authorities, this made the work considerably more difficult. For industry players, it could create confusion about what information should actually follow the product. And when the systems also did not always talk to each other, traceability sometimes became more of a puzzle than a coherent flow.

The EU therefore particularly highlighted the need for better interoperability between systems – meaning that different systems can actually exchange and understand the same information – as well as clearer rules for how traceability should work in practice.

The reform is therefore not only about more control, but at least as much about better structure of the informationThe idea is that data can be shared faster, quality assured better and follow the product through the entire chain without getting lost somewhere along the way.

For authorities, this is an important tool to counteract illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) and detect incorrect reporting. For the industry, this also means that accurate and reliable information is becoming an increasingly important resource – not only for regulatory compliance, but also for logistics, quality work and business.

In other words: in the future of fish trade, it is not enough to know ford you are selling. You also need to know where it comes from, how it has been handled – and being able to show it.

What does “digital traceability” mean in practice?

The gist of the new rules is actually quite straightforward: Traceability information should be available digitally – and the information should be able to follow the fish from the sea (or farm) all the way to the next actor in the chain.

But here's an important detail: digital traceability is not just about being able to pull out a document if someone asks.

The information should be able to is received, stored, linked to the correct party and forwarded in a format that the next actor can actually use and checkIt is not enough to have a document saved with the correct information somewhere in the organization.

A classic approach with paper folders, PDFs in a folder called “trackability_new_new2_final2”, emailed delivery notes or pictures of labels on your phone will therefore not really be enough when the requirements become stricter.

This development is also visible in Sweden. GS1's guidance on fish traceability clearly highlights that the statutory information increasingly needs to be communicated digitally via article data and standardized information.

Which products and companies are affected?

For fresh and frozen products, the reform covers fishery and aquaculture products throughout the entire supply chain – including imports. The EU is clear that the rules do not stop at the boat or the fish farm, but follow the product all the way through the system.

This means that the impact doesn’t just apply to fishermen, farmers or importers. The requirements continue downstream throughout the industry – to processors, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers and foodservice. In short: if your business handles fish or seafood in any form, there’s a good chance the new rules will affect you.

For Swedish companies, this is particularly relevant for activities such as:

• imports fish or seafood from countries outside the EU
• receives raw materials and produces further in Sweden
• repackages, labels or rebrands products
• merges or splits batches in warehouse and distribution
• resells to grocery stores, wholesalers, Cash & Carry or HoReCa
• delivers item data to customers, chains or e-commerce platforms

In other words: even companies that do not fish themselves or import affected. If the product passes through your business, you are expected to be able to preserve the information, link it to the correct party and pass it on to the next actor in the chain.

Imports to the EU: CATCH becomes mandatory

A particularly important part of the reform concerns import of fish and seafood from countries outside the EUThis introduces a new digital way of working that will affect many companies in the industry.

From 10 Januari 2026 EU importers must use the IT system CATCH to submit catch certificates and related documents to the authorities.

The European Commission describes CATCH as a paperless workflow where information, documents and data can be shared directly between trading partners and control authorities. The aim is to make the process both faster and more transparent, while making it more difficult to cheat at the import stage. And the Commission is clear on one point: from 2026, the use of CATCH Required for EU importers.

For Swedish importers and distributors, this means that import flows from third countries need to function in a more digital ecosystemCatch certificates should still exist – but they should also be managed digitally and linked to the correct products and lots in the systems.

In Swedish verksamt.se It is already clear today that fish and fishery products imported from countries outside the EU must be accompanied by a catch certificate. The difference in the future is therefore not om documentation is needed, without how it is handled.

What must be able to be followed in traceability?

The Commission's information material on the new rules shows that traceability information for fresh and frozen products needs to be quite detailed. This includes: lot identity, unique fishing trip identity, species information, geographical catch or production area, fishing gear, date of catch or harvest and quantities.

For imported products, additional information is required such as: vessel identification and catch certificate number.

It is not enough to know that the product is “cod fillet” or “salmon.” Companies must be able to link the right information to the right lot or batch, and then ensure that that information follows the product throughout the entire operation – and on to the next actor in the chain.

And this is where reality sometimes gets a little more complex than theory. In practice, a lot happens to products as they move through a facility. Fish can be cut up, repackaged, divided into smaller batches, combined with other batches, or sent on in new packaging formats.

When that happens, the information chain still has to stay together.

Batches, splits, merges and repackaging become a key issue

One of the most business-critical aspects of the new rules is how lots are handled after the first sale. One of the most practical – and sometimes a little confusing – parts of the new rules is what happens after the fish has landed and begins to move through the supply chain.

In reality, product flows rarely look as neat as they do in a manual. Batches are split, combined, repacked, relabeled and shipped in different formats depending on the customer, order size or logistical needs. A pallet can become several boxes, several deliveries can become a new batch – and sometimes all of this happens during the same shift.

And this is exactly where the new traceability requirements become extra important.

The EU's guidance on the rules is clear: when parties mixed, divided or repackaged information about their origin and composition must still be traceable. This means that companies need to be able to show which original lots are included in a new lot, as well as the quantities that have been used.

In other words, it is not enough to know that a box contains “cod fillet”. You also need to be able to show which original batch(es) it actually comes from.

In practice, this means that traceability must continue even when the product:

• divided into smaller parts
• merge with other parties
• repackaged into new packaging sizes
• rebranded for different customers
• forwarded in new logistical units

This is quite a big change for many businesses. In the past, traceability has often worked well as long as the product retained its original packaging or batch. However, in reality, products often change several times along the way through the chain.

That is why the EU attaches such great importance to the traceability information follows the product even when it changes.

Or to put it a little simpler: the fish may change box, label and destination along the way – but the information about where it comes from should still be there.

And it is here labelling and traceability systems begins to play a crucial role in practice.

How are manufacturers in Sweden affected?

For Swedish manufacturers, processors and packers, the regulatory change means one thing above all: Traceability can no longer be something you try to figure out afterwardsIt needs to be a natural part of daily production.

At the same time, the boundaries between different types of information are starting to blur a bit. What previously might have been in a document, in a business system or on a label now often needs to be in several places at the same timeThe same information may need to be visible on the label, be available in the business system, shared via item data to customers and be able to be retrieved during an official inspection.

The Swedish GS1 guidance also points clearly in that direction. It describes how traceability information for fish increasingly needs to be communicated digitally via article data – so that it can be shared between different actors in the chain.

For many companies, this means taking a step back and reviewing how traceability actually works in practice. It often involves four key areas:

Data model
What traceability information needs to be available – and at what level? Here it is important to keep track of which fields are needed at the item, lot and batch level, so that the information does not start to live its own life in different systems.

Processes
When and how is the information captured? Traceability data needs to be recorded at the right times – for example, at receipt, production, repackaging and delivery.

System Integration
Do the systems work together? ERP, WMS, labelling solutions and any traceability systems need to be able to talk to each other – otherwise you quickly risk having several different “versions of the truth”.

Marking
How is the digital information linked to the physical product? Labels, barcodes and sometimes even 2D codes play an important role in linking the right batch with the right information.

How are distributors and wholesalers in Sweden affected?

For distributors, wholesalers and warehouse operators, the big question is actually quite simple: How do you ensure that the information stays with the product throughout the logistics?

In reality, fish and seafood pass through many hands along the way. A company may receive deliveries from multiple suppliers, store the products, pick orders, repack, relabel, and then ship them to a store, restaurant, or wholesale customer. During that journey, the information must continue to follow the product – without the connection between the physical item and its digital lot information being lost somewhere between the warehouse shelf and the loading dock.

This means that the distribution chain can no longer just be a matter of pallets in, pallets outIn practice, warehouses and wholesalers also become a kind of information hub in the supply chain.

For companies that already work in a structured way with systems and item data, this is often a fairly natural development. However, businesses that still rely on manual routines can find themselves struggling as the demands increase.

More and more customers are starting to demand structured, digital and auditable information – that is, data that can actually be followed and checked, not just read in a document.

This is particularly noticeable in Sweden, where many grocery chains, public kitchens and professional wholesale flows already work with relatively high demands on article data, labelling and standardizationIn other words: the bar is already set quite high.

Where does labelling come into the picture?

Labelling is the the visible link between the physical product and the digital informationThis is where digital traceability meets reality – in the form of a label on a box, a package or a pallet.

But a label by itself is not enough.

It needs to be designed correctly, contain the right identity and – above all – be linked to the right information in the systems behind it. If that connection is missing, the label will be useless at best. informative, but not very useful when someone actually needs to follow the product backwards in the chain.

For fish products, there have also been specific requirements for the information that must be shown to the consumer. In Sweden, the The Swedish Food Agency for example, that the catch area should be indicated with its Swedish name so that it is understandable to the consumer. The authority also highlights information about species, catch area and traceability as central parts of its control.

This means that companies often need to manage two information layers simultaneously:

• the commercial and regulatory labelling to be displayed to the customer
• the more detailed traceability information contained in the systems behind

And this is where labelling plays a slightly bigger role than you might first think.

For a company working with labelling or traceability solutions, this is an important point to explain: labelling is not just about label layout, material selection and stylish prints.

It is also a operational control point in the business – where the right data needs to be linked to the right item, the right lot and the right logistical unit before the product is shipped.

In short: the label may be small in size, but it plays a pretty big role in making the entire traceability chain work.

Why are standards so important?

As the EU moves towards more digital traceability, it is not enough for every company to have “some kind of system”The information must also be understandable and usable by the next actor in the chain.

It's a bit like when different people try to collaborate on a project – if everyone uses different languages, different formats, and different ways of describing things, it quickly becomes messy. The same goes for data.

Therefore, the European Commission often highlights the need for compatible and interoperable systems – that is, systems that can talk to each other and interpret information in the same way. The Swedish GS1 guidance goes in the same direction and describes how traceability information for fish can be structured and shared via standardized item data.

Standards therefore play an important role on several levels:

• Identification – to be able to identify products, batches and logistical units in a uniform way
• Information sharing – to structure and share data between suppliers, customers and authorities
• Efficiency – to reduce manual work and the risk of misunderstandings or misinterpretations

That is also why many companies are now looking more closely at solutions that barcodes, 2D codes, standardized article information and integration between marking equipment and business systems.

In short: when everyone uses the same “language” for data, it becomes much easier to let the information follow the product throughout the supply chain. And that is exactly what the new rules aim to achieve.

What does this mean in concrete terms for Swedish companies?

It is important to view the reform from two perspectives. Firstly, it is about compliance and confidentiality – that is, to meet new legal requirements. But it is just as much about how companies actually work in their daily processes.

For many Swedish manufacturers and distributors, the changes will be felt in several different areas.

Firstly: more information needs to be collected and linked to each lot or batch.
Second: the information must be able to be stored and shared digitally, not just found in documents or manual records.
Thirdly: When products are repackaged, split or combined, these changes must be fully traceable.
Fourthly: import flows from countries outside the EU need to work together with the system CATCH and associated documentation.
Fifth: labels and markings must be linked to the correct batch and lot information.
Sixth: suppliers and customers need to be able to work with same or compatible information structures, so that data can actually be shared and understood.

For many companies, this means investing in better system support, integrations, data quality and clearer processes.

But there are also clear advantages. When the information is structured and follows the product throughout the chain, it becomes easier to:

• create greater transparency towards customers and partners
• detect errors in time
• handle recalls faster
• reduce manual work and the risk of mistakes

What should companies do now?

Small and medium-sized companies that handle fish and seafood in Sweden would be wise to take a look at how the information chain actually works in practice.

A good start is to ask your own business some simple – but quite revealing – questions. It’s not just about being able to answer “yes, we have labels”.

The questions are rather:

• Can we identify each relevant lot digitally?
• Can we connect correctly? species, catch area, date and supplier to the right party?
• Can we maintain traceability when products repackaged or divided?
• Can we forward the information to the next actor in a format they can actually use?
• Can we show a clear and coherent traceability chain during a check?

If the answer to any of these questions begins with “it should work…” or “it probably exists in some system…” It might be time to take a closer look at how the processes work.

It is also wise to review how the current the labelling solution is connected to the rest of the systems. In many businesses, labels are still produced as a fairly separate step – sometimes from a proprietary system, sometimes from an Excel sheet, and sometimes from something someone once built “temporarily” a few years ago.

The problem is that if the label is not fully linked to the underlying data in the business system or traceability solution, there is a risk that the information and the product begin to live slightly different lives.

And that's where the greatest potential for improvement usually lies. When labelling, item data and business systems start working together, it becomes much easier to let the information follow the product throughout the entire chain – without anyone having to hunt for the right information afterwards.

A connection between labelling and traceability

The new fisheries control rules mean a clear shift in practice. The traceability of fish and seafood within the EU has gone from often being partly manual and document-based to need to be significantly more digital, structured and possible to follow up.

For fresh and frozen products this already applies 10 Januari 2026, while some other product categories will be subject to additional requirements at a later date. Importers need to use the system CATCH, and companies throughout the supply chain must be able to preserve and pass on accurate lot and catch information.

For manufacturers and distributors in Sweden this means that labelling and traceability become even more interconnected.

Labelling is the visible link to the physical product – the label on the box, packaging or pallet. Traceability is also the digital spine which makes it possible to follow, check and share the information behind the label.

When these two parts work together, it becomes much easier to keep track of product flows, meet regulatory requirements and be able to act quickly if something needs to be traced back in the chain.

Companies that are already reviewing their processes for data collection, item information, lot management and integrated labelling will therefore be better equipped to meet the new requirements – both from a regulatory and business perspective.