By Ivo Thijssen, IDI Vice president
The D66 Group in the European Parliament voted in favour of opening of EU accession negotiations with Iceland. D66 MEP Marietje Schaake believes that Iceland has a lot to offer to the EU: “Iceland has a strong democratic tradition and plays an active role in defending human rights and fundamental freedoms worldwide.” According to Marietje Schaake, Iceland can help Europe protect our freedom of expression in the 21st century. The Icelandic Modern Media Initiative (IMMI) is a great example of such protection. The IMMI is a law intended to create a supportive and attractive jurisdiction for the publication of investigative journalism and other threatened online media. It was adopted unanimously by Iceland’s parliament, the Altingi, on 16 June 2010. It’s goal it to make Iceland a leader in freedom of expression and a safe haven for whistleblowers such as Wikileaks.
IDI Vice-president Ivo Thijssen has also been active on the Icelandic case. He recently contributed to ‘Kreppa – What We Should Learn From the Icelandic Crisis’. The book is a co-operation between the Centre Group in the Nordic Council and the Liberal Group ALDE in the European Parliament. The book includes articles from the Vice President of the European Parliament Diana Wallis, professor Alyson Bailes and economist Daniel Gros. In his article, Ivo Thijssen claims that the actions of both the Icelandic and Dutch governments are worrisome on an ideological, pro-European point of view. He also sets out a framework for the future of the European financial markets: “There are no more national players in a common European market, why should the schemes be national?”
Tags: EU enlargement, Iceland, International