The Congress welcomes Iceland’s ratification of the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority, on 22 May 2017. This is a positive and prompt response of the Icelandic authorities to Recommendation 402, which the Congress adopted during its 32nd session on 30 March 2017, following a monitoring visit to Iceland, from 21 to 23 June 2016. This ratification is important to ensuring citizen participation and the proper functioning of the participatory instruments recently introduced in Iceland with the new Local Government Act 138/2011. “With the ratification, Iceland sets a strong example for promoting local self-government and confirms its practical commitment to improving participatory democracy at local level,” stated Congress President, Gudrun Mosler-Törnström.
Press release