Guðrún says government bears responsibility for Protocol 35 case

Independence Party leader Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir says the Icelandic government is responsible for the country’s dispute with the EFTA Surveillance Authority over Protocol 35. She made the comments to Morgunblaðið after the authority decided to take Iceland to the EFTA Court.

The authority believes Icelandic law does not adequately ensure that EEA rules incorporated into national law take precedence when they conflict with Icelandic legislation.

Hafsteinsdóttir said the decision did not surprise her, given the case’s development and the authority’s previous position. She said her party supports the EEA Agreement, while insisting that Iceland’s parliament, Alþingi, holds legislative power and should have the final say on matters affecting the country’s interests.

She said the government had put the matter on the agenda during the spring 2025 parliamentary session, introduced it and sent it to a committee, but later removed it from the agenda to prioritise other issues. It was not introduced during the following autumn session or discussed during this year’s spring session, she said.

Hafsteinsdóttir said the government could have completed the matter with its parliamentary majority and had made a deliberate decision not to do so. She said it was now up to the government to explain how it would respond to the situation with the EFTA Surveillance Authority.