Minister calls EEA protocol 35 a matter of justice

Iceland’s Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir says implementing Protocol 35 of the European Economic Area agreement is a matter of justice for the public, as the EFTA Surveillance Authority moves to take Iceland to the EFTA Court. She made the comments to mbl.is.

The EFTA Surveillance Authority, known as ESA, says Icelandic law does not adequately ensure that EEA rules incorporated into domestic law remain in force when they conflict with other Icelandic legal provisions.

Gunnarsdóttir said the case did not surprise her, noting that ESA first formally raised the issue in 2012. She introduced a bill last week to improve implementation of the protocol and plans to present it in parliament next week.

She said the issue affects people’s daily lives and cited the case of an Icelandic doctor who returned from Denmark and received lower payments from Iceland’s Parental Leave Fund because the protocol had not been implemented.

“If we are serious about meeting our obligations under the EEA agreement, we need to finish this matter,” she said. Norway has completed the process, she added, saying this had not reduced its sovereignty and had instead made it a more responsible party to the agreement.

Gunnarsdóttir urged the opposition to maintain the support for the EEA agreement expressed around the August referendum. She said she hoped that support had been genuine and not merely opportunistic, and argued the issue should be resolved in Reykjavík rather than Luxembourg.

She expects the bill to be introduced early next week and referred to a committee. Parliament should then be able to deal with it relatively quickly, she said, while also expecting that it could face opposition.