diff --git a/application/web/web_main.py b/application/web/web_main.py
index 77eee36e..7aa1095a 100644
--- a/application/web/web_main.py
+++ b/application/web/web_main.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 # silence mypy for the routes file
 import csv
+import re
 from functools import wraps
 import json
 import logging
@@ -810,9 +811,43 @@ def import_from_cre_csv() -> Any:
     if file is None:
         abort(400, "No file provided")
     contents = file.read()
-    csv_read = csv.DictReader(contents.decode("utf-8").splitlines())
     try:
-        documents = spreadsheet_parsers.parse_export_format(list(csv_read))
+        contents_text = contents.decode("utf-8")
+    except UnicodeDecodeError:
+        abort(400, "Invalid CSV encoding. Expected UTF-8.")
+
+    if '"""' in contents_text:
+        abort(
+            400,
+            "Invalid CSV content: triple-quoted text detected. Use standard CSV quoting (double quotes) instead.",
+        )
+
+    try:
+        csv_read = csv.DictReader(contents_text.splitlines())
+        rows = list(csv_read)
+    except csv.Error as exc:
+        abort(400, f"Invalid CSV content: {exc}")
+
+    cre_headers = [
+        header for header in (csv_read.fieldnames or []) if header.startswith("CRE")
+    ]
+    cre_value_pattern = re.compile(r"^[A-Za-z0-9]{3}-[A-Za-z0-9]{3}\|.+$")
+
+    for row_index, row in enumerate(rows, start=2):
+        for header in cre_headers:
+            value = row.get(header)
+            if not spreadsheet_parsers.is_empty(value):
+                normalized = str(value).strip()
+                if not cre_value_pattern.match(normalized):
+                    abort(
+                        400,
+                        "Invalid CRE column format in row "
+                        f"{row_index}, column '{header}'. Expected XXX-XXX|Name.",
+                    )
+    try:
+        documents = spreadsheet_parsers.parse_export_format(rows)
+    except ValueError as err:
+        abort(400, f"Invalid CSV content: {err}")
     except cre_exceptions.DuplicateLinkException as dle:
         abort(500, f"error during parsing of the incoming CSV, err:{dle}")
     cres = documents.pop(defs.Credoctypes.CRE.value)