ABSTRACT
The 1944 Constitution is silent on natural resources, and in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the call for a constitutional provision on natural resources came to the center of political discussion on constitutional reform. In a number of proposals put forward regarding a constitutional provision on natural resources a uniform approach is sought in accommodating ownership, management and utilisation, and benefit sharing. When discussing the need to include a provision on natural resources in the Icelandic Constitution, it is important to analyse what the aim and implications of such a provision would be. This chapter considers the main legislative provisions on natural resources and discusses proposals that were put forward for a constitutional provision on natural resources. It discusses the provision on natural resources of the 2016 Constitutional Bill in light of earlier proposals, particularly in comparison with the 2011 Proposal of the Constitutional Council and 2012 Constitutional Bill.
