Iceland’s Supreme Court ruling leads to annulment of protection status for eight areas, including Jökulsá á Fjöllum

The Ministry of the Environment announced today the annulment of the protection status for eight areas following a Supreme Court ruling. The court deemed the preservation of Jökulsá á Fjöllum illegal, as the Althingi, Iceland’s parliament, failed to delineate protection zones within the framework plan.

Mistakes made by the Althingi during legislation based on the framework plan have led to this decision, with the Supreme Court concluding in March that the conservation of Jökulsá á Fjöllum was not lawful. The ruling indicated that the parliament did not address the definition of the protected area while classifying energy options into protection and utilization categories.

In a statement on the ministry’s website, it was explained that these areas will need to undergo the prior process again, requiring the Althingi to clearly define protection zones. Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, the Minister of Environment, Energy, and Climate, indicated that this issue will be directed back to the framework committee for reassessment so that the parliament can handle matters in a way that allows for legal conservation.

The areas whose protections have been revoked include Jökulsá á Fjöllum, designated on August 10, 2019; Geysir, designated on March 19, 2021; Kerlingarfjöll, designated March 19, 2021; Brennisteinsfjöll, designated April 25, 2020; Gjástykki, designated April 1, 2020; Hólmsá, designated August 26, 2021; Jökulfall and Hvítá, designated September 16, 2021; and Tungnaá, designated August 30, 2021.