Hanna Katrín Friðriksson Proposes Merger of Key Regulatory Agencies
Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, the Minister of Employment, plans to table a bill during the spring session of 2026 that would bring the Food Agency, the Fisheries Agency, and the Valuation Agency under one roof.
Staff at all three institutions have already been told about the plans. If the bill passes, the new combined agency would open for business in January 2027, according to a statement from the Ministry of Employment.
A feasibility study carried out for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy laid out the case for the move. The study found that the three agencies share a common mandate in food regulation — their day-to-day functions are closely aligned, which makes integration a realistic prospect rather than a stretch.
“Streamlining administration and merging institutions is one of the government’s key objectives, and this initiative aligns perfectly with that vision,” said Hanna Katrín. She pointed to improvements in service efficiency and transparency, digital innovation, and solid job opportunities across the country as priorities for the new body. The agency is also intended to be somewhere people actually want to work — a place with real career paths, available nationwide.
The proposal doesn’t come out of nowhere. It follows recommendations put forward by the Prime Minister’s optimization group last March, which floated similar consolidation ideas — including bringing together the Norwegian Fisheries Agency, the Norwegian Marine Research Institute, the Swedish Fisheries Agency, and the Norwegian Fisheries Fund into a more unified regulatory structure.
How the merger will reshape day-to-day food regulation in practice remains to be seen, but the direction of travel from the government is clear.
