IRI Iceland 2023
30 Mar, 2023
IMPEL got back underway with its IRI programme with a review of the Environment Agency Iceland (EAI) in Iceland from 14-17 March 2023, the first review to be held since the pandemic took hold. The IMPEL Review Initiative (IRI) scheme is a voluntary scheme providing for informal reviews of environmental authorities in IMPEL Member countries. The review team consisted of members from The Netherlands, Romania, UK and Norway.
The aims of the IRI scheme are to:
· Provide advice to environmental authorities seeking an external review of their structure, operation or performance by experts
· Encourage capacity building in environmental authorities
· Encourage the exchange of experience and collaboration between these authorities on common issues and problems.
· Spread good practice leading to improved quality of the work of environmental authorities andcontributing to continuous improvement of quality and consistency of application ofenvironmental law across the EU (“the level playing-field”)
This was the second IRI in Iceland, the first having taken place in 2012 and the focus this time was on strategic alignment, permitting and inspections, fish farming and new industries. A number of opportunities for development were identified and the review also considered progress on the opportunities identified in the 2012 review.
IMPEL would like to thank the EAI for their excellent cooperation and involvement in the review process. The results of the review were presented at the end of the week, to both the EAI and to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate, Mr Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson. The report will be published after approval at the IMPEL General Assembly in June.