European authorities have ruled that Iceland’s blanket ban on imported fresh meat violates international law.
As reported, Iceland is a part of the European Economic Area (EEA), and as such is subject to most EU laws regarding trade. Among these is the free-flow of goods across borders.
EEA law grants exceptions to the free-flow of goods for the prevention of the spread of veterinary diseases. Iceland has chosen to interpret this to mean the country can issue a blanket ban on the import of any raw meat.
The EU disagrees with this interpretation and, RÚV now reports, the Surveillance Authority of the European Free Trade Agreement (ESA) has ruled that Iceland is violating international law of which it is a signatory.
The ESA believes that Iceland is unnecessarily blocking free trade between EEA nations. As such, the Icelandic government has two months to respond to this ruling, or risk being taken to EFTA court.
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