Exporting organic products to Sweden
Sweden uses EKO rather than BIO in its control body codes, has no state organic logo, and in practice runs on KRAV — a private standard that is materially stricter than the EU regulation.
The EU framework that applies
Organic production, labelling and imports across the EU are governed by Regulation (EU) 2018/848, applicable since 1 January 2022, when it replaced Regulation (EC) 834/2007. National authorities administer and enforce it; they do not set their own organic standard.
Processed food may be labelled organic only where at least 95% of its agricultural ingredients by weight are organic, with the remainder drawn from the authorised list in the implementing rules.
What must appear on the label
- The EU organic logo — the leaf of twelve white stars on green. Compulsory on pre-packaged organic food produced in the EU; optional on imported product.
- The control body code, placed directly below the logo, in the format
XX-BIO-NNN— ISO country code, then BIO or its national-language equivalent, then a three-character reference. - The agricultural origin statement below the code: EU Agriculture, non-EU Agriculture or EU/non-EU Agriculture. A country name may be used instead where at least 98% of the agricultural raw material comes from that country.
Getting a consignment in
Every organic consignment entering the EU needs an electronic Certificate of Inspection (COI) issued and endorsed in TRACES NT, under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2306. Extracts are used where a consignment is split. The COI is issued in the country of export before the goods leave — it cannot be obtained afterwards.
There are two routes in. Under the compliance regime (Article 46), operators in third countries are certified against EU rules by control bodies the Commission has recognised, listed in Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2325 and amended by implementing act. Under the older equivalence regime, product may enter from a recognised third country listed in Annex I of the same regulation.
A deadline worth watching. Recognition of the eleven remaining equivalent third countries — Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Tunisia and the United States — together with the Annex II equivalence listings, is set to expire on 31 December 2026.
The Commission has tabled proposal COM(2025) 780 to extend that deadline, but as at the review date of this page it had not been adopted. Anyone sourcing from those eleven origins should confirm the current legal position before contracting for delivery beyond that date.
1) Mandatory organic standards and labels
Regulation (EU) 2018/848 applies directly. Livsmedelsverket (the National Food Agency) is responsible for processed food and imports; Jordbruksverket (the Board of Agriculture) for primary production; and the county boards for local control.
Swedish control body codes use EKO, not BIO: SE-EKO-NN — for example SE-EKO-01 (Kiwa), SE-EKO-04 (HS Certifiering), SE-EKO-05 (Valiguard/SMAK).
National logo
Sweden has no state-owned organic logo. The compulsory EU leaf carries the legal message. KRAV is a private standard and mark, not a government one — a distinction that is easy to miss given how dominant it is.
2) Important voluntary standards and labels
KRAV is usually the real requirement. The main Swedish retail chains list on KRAV certification, not on EU organic certification. Treat KRAV as the commercial entry condition and the EU regulation as the legal floor beneath it.
- KRAV — goes well beyond Regulation (EU) 2018/848, adding social criteria, climate requirements and additional animal welfare rules. Certification is a separate process from EU organic certification.
- Demeter — biodynamic, present but niche in Sweden.
- Svenskt Sigill — a Swedish quality mark that is not organic; its organic-labelled tiers sit on top of organic certification.
3) Approved certification and control bodies
Certification is carried out by control bodies approved by the Swedish authorities. The list is published by Livsmedelsverket and Jordbruksverket.
A non-EU exporter is certified by a control body recognised by the Commission under Article 46 for its country and product category. KRAV certification, where required commercially, is arranged separately through KRAV's approved certifiers.
- Livsmedelsverket — www.livsmedelsverket.se
- Jordbruksverket — jordbruksverket.se
- KRAV — www.krav.se
4) Import requirements
Standard EU procedure: an electronic COI in TRACES NT for every consignment, endorsed in the country of export before departure.
Importers must register with Livsmedelsverket as organic importers before trading. As elsewhere in the EU, it is the importer's registration that clears the consignment, so confirm your Swedish buyer holds it.
If the commercial route requires KRAV, budget for it separately and early. KRAV certification of an overseas supply chain is a distinct audit against a stricter standard, and cannot be added at the point of shipment.
5) Further information
- LivsmedelsverketNational Food Agency; organic imports, processed food and importer registration.
- JordbruksverketSwedish Board of Agriculture; primary production and the list of approved control bodies.
- KRAVThe private Swedish organic standard that governs listing with the major retail chains.
- Regulation (EU) 2018/848The base act governing organic production, labelling and imports across the EU.
- European Commission — organic farmingPolicy hub, legislation index and guidance on the import regime.
- TRACES NTWhere the electronic Certificate of Inspection for every organic consignment is issued and endorsed.
- Organic Farming Information System (OFIS)Commission database of control bodies and third-country recognitions.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-06