Össur Skarphéðinsson

The Icelandic foreign minister will take control of the country’s Icesave defence preparations at the EFTA court; despite loud calls from the opposition to keep the case in the hands of the business and commerce minister. Read the full story

At the same time as the Icesave case continues, the EFTA court has already passed verdict on another Icelandic issue and came down on the site of the Reykjavík authorities: Iceland’s currency control restrictions do not break European law. Read the full story

The EFTA surveillance authority’s decision to take Iceland to court over its unwillingness to accept a state guarantee for Icesave customers in the UK and the Netherlands was greeted in Reykjavík with little surprise. Read the full story

ESA, the EFTA (European Free Trade Association) surveillance authority, has decided to take the Icelandic state to the EFTA court over its handling of the Icesave case. By discriminating against foreign depositors and not reimbursing the British and Dutch governments within one year, it is claimed Iceland broke European law. Read the full story

New ownership of the Icelandic insurance company Sjova does not mean the EFTA will stop its investigation into whether the government gave state subsidies to save the company, against European law. Read the full story

The supervisory arm of the EFTA, the ESA, has given Icelandic authorities a six-week deadline to implement changes to the public sector Housing Finance Fund — the country’s biggest mortgage lender. A formal investigation could take place if the deadline is missed. Read the full story

The EFTA surveillance authority, the ESA, has ruled that the Icelandic authorities are required to pay out the minimum insurance amount on Icesave deposits in the UK and Netherlands. Read the full story

A response from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to the EFTA Surveillence Authority‘s Letter of Formal Notice regarding the Icesave dispute was submitted by the Ambassdor of Iceland in Brussels earlier today. Read the full story

A letter of response from the Icelandic state to the European Free Trade Association surveillance authority (ESA) about the Icesave dispute will be sent immediately after the weekend. Read the full story

Despite some confused reports to the contrary, this weekend’s Icesave referendum result does not mean Iceland will withhold refunds to the British and Dutch governments for the money they lost bailing out Icesave account holders in 2008. Read the full story