EU ban on breach of EEA agreement

"We have made it clear to the European Union, in cooperation with the EFTA States, that this is not in line with the EEA Agreement. I firmly believe that this will be addressed, "says Foreign Minister Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson about the EU's ban on the sale of personal protective equipment outside the union.

Face masks, protective clothing, disposable gloves, goggles and other personal protective equipment needed by healthcare professionals and others in the front line are already sold by a supplier in this country.

Þorsteinn Austri, sales manager at Dynjandi, said in a conversation with mbl.is this morning that the situation was terrible. The company received the answers from its suppliers in Germany, Italy and Norway yesterday that these products could not be sold to Icelanders due to the European Union's ban.

Guðlaugur Þór assumes that the matter will be resolved before the end of the day so that it will be possible to get this equipment to the country.

"Of course, we have also sought other ways of cooperating with other ministries, but this is not in accordance with the EEA Agreement, so we expect the Commission to resolve this," Guðlaugur Þór emphasizes.