Animal welfare in Iceland: ESA assessment of progress and outstanding recommendations on animal protection

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) has published a report on a follow-up audit assessing Iceland’s implementation of measures on the protection of animals at the time of killing. The audit was carried out in Iceland between 6 and 13 November 2025 and examined the implementation and effectiveness of actions taken in response to ESA’s October 2021 audit. That earlier audit resulted in seven recommendations, of which five remained open and were subject to the follow-up assessment.

The audit found that progress had been made in relation to three of the five outstanding recommendations. These concerned the implementation of official controls, enforcement measures, and the obligations of business operators. While progress was noted i