A long-running dispute over online alcohol sales in Iceland is now moving on two tracks at once. A court case due to be heard on 5 March will test whether the current sales model used by private operators is legal under existing law, while a new bill before Alþingi would change that legal framework by formally allowing licensed online alcohol retail. Together, the two processes could shape the future of Iceland’s alcohol monopoly system.

Icelandic prevention organisations say the current debate on alcohol policy should be grounded in facts, including a long-running police case on online alcohol sales that is now before the courts.

Helsinki Administrative Court ruled that a German company selling alcohol via a Finnish-language web shop must pay Finnish excise duty. By recommending specific carriers, the seller indirectly arranged the shipment, so the sales counted as distance selling under EU law, in line with the CJEU judgment of 19 December 2024.

Fifteen Icelandic health organizations call on the government to address the public health threat of increased online alcohol sales.