Iceland and the European Union
Encyclopedia
Iceland
applied to join the European Union
on 16 July 2009. Negotiations formally began 27 July 2010 and, despite Iceland already being heavily integrated into the EU market, will face contentious issues on fisheries which could potentially derail an agreement. After an agreement is concluded, the accession treaty must be ratified by every EU state and be subject to a national referendum in Iceland. Prior to application, Iceland was part of the EU's internal market
and the Schengen Area
.
(EFTA), which is between non-EU European countries, but is integrated into the EU's European Economic Area
(EEA) and the Schengen Area
. Through the EEA, Iceland participates in a non-voting capacity in certain EU agencies and programmes, including enterprise, environment, education (including the Erasmus Programme
) and research programs. Iceland also contributes funds to the social and economic cohesion in the EU/EEA. Iceland also regularly consults the EU in foreign affairs and frequently aligns itself to EU foreign policy
. Iceland also participates in EU civilian peacekeeping
missions.
Iceland's participation in Schengen ensures free movement of people between itself and the rest of the EU. It is also associated with the Dublin Convention
on justice and home affairs cooperation. Iceland's membership of Schengen is due to its previous participation in the Nordic Passport Union
which has been subsumed into Schengen as Nordic countries acceded to the EU. Several thousand Icelanders travel to and study or work in the EU. A large majority of the foreigners in Iceland likewise come from the EU.
in 1994. The EEA was established to give Iceland (as well as a few other European countries outside the EU) access to the EU's internal market
. Iceland's access to the EU market excludes agriculture and fisheries, these are dealt with by separate bilateral agreements. Iceland is legally bound to implement into its own law all EU directives applicable to the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital
. This is complemented by regular meetings between EU and Icelandic officials, including a twice-yearly meeting of EEA foreign ministers.
78% of Icelandic exports went to the EU and 52% of Icelandic imports came from it making the EU Iceland's most important trading partner, followed by Norway. Traditionally, the Icelandic economy
focused on fisheries and renewable energy
, but it has been diversifying with aluminium
production, pharmaceuticals, information technologies, tourism
and the financial sector. Iceland is still a large exporter of fish (the third largest exporter to the EU after Norway and China) with a world trade surplus of €1.1 billion in 2008. In fisheries, the EU had a 2009 trade deficit of €879 million. Up until Iceland's 2009 financial crisis, its commercial services sector grew rapidly, accounting for almost 35% of is total exports (goods and services combined).
to 2007
the government coalition of the conservative
Independence Party
(Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) and the liberal
Progressive Party
(Framsóknarflokkurinn), opposed joining the EU, while the opposition Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) supported membership negotiations.
Former Prime Minister
Halldór Ásgrímsson
predicted on 8 February 2006 that the country would join the EU by 2015. He added that the decisive factor would be the future and the size of the Eurozone
, especially whether Denmark, Sweden and the UK would have adopted the euro
or not. His prediction received some criticism, not the least from people within his own government.
Another former Prime Minister, Geir H. Haarde
, has on a number of occasions stated his opposition to EU membership, both as Foreign Minister under Halldór Ásgrímsson and after taking office as Prime Minister. In response to Halldór Ásgrímsson's earlier prediction, Haarde said, "I don't share that point of view. Our policy is not to join in the foreseeable future. We are not even exploring membership." In a speech at a conference at the University of Iceland
on 31 March 2006, Geir Haarde repeated what he had said on a number of occasions—that no special Icelandic interests demanded membership of the EU. In the same speech he further explained in detail why it would not be in the interest of Iceland to adopt the euro.
Following the 2007 election
, the Independence Party and the Social Democratic Alliance formed a new coalition with a policy of not applying for membership, but setting up a special committee to monitor the development within the EU and suggest ways to respond to that.
Due to Iceland's limited currency, the government has explored the possibility of adopting the euro without joining the European Union. The EU, however, says that Iceland cannot join the Economic and Monetary Union
(EMU) without becoming a full EU member state (all other non-EU states do so because they previously used a member state currency that was replaced by the euro).
On 30 October 2008, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir
, minister of education said that "Iceland has to define its long-term national interests and part of that is a revision of the currency regime, including a possible EU application" and that application for membership needed to be discussed “in weeks rather than months”.
Two weeks later, on 17 November 2008, the Independence Party announced it would hold its party congress in January 2009 instead of Autumn 2009, to reconsider the possibility of applying for EU membership; the Progressive Party also announced it would hold its party congress in January, after two anti-EU MPs (including the party leader) resigned and were replaced by MPs more positive towards EU application.
The Progressive Party accepted at its congress to support application for EU membership but with very strict conditions including one demanding full authority for Iceland over its fishing grounds and other national resources. When the government headed by the Independence Party dissolved in January the party decided to postpone its congress until March. The congress eventually decided an unchanged opposition to EU membership but also claimed that if the issue were opened by others both an application and a initial accession treaty with the EU should be put to a referendum.
and the single currency must be taken by its people, not one political party", on the subject that the issue of EU membership was the greatest threat to a stable coalition.
The 2009 elections
, which followed the Icelandic financial crisis, saw the Progressive Party switch to supporting EU membership but the Independence Party called for a referendum prior to the start of negotiations. The Social Democratic Alliance made joining the EU a key issue in their campaign.
After the win of the pro-EU Social Democratic Alliance in the 2009 election
Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
spoke of an immediate application to the European Union and adoption of the euro
within four years as a way to deal with the country's debt.
In late April 2009, it was announced that the United Kingdom
, a member state of the European Union with whom Iceland has had a long history of fishing and territorial water disputes, supported Iceland joining the EU.
In early May 2009, it was leaked that the issue of application for EU membership would likely be left to the parliament, in which the Alliance, the Progressive Party and the Citizens' Movement together already had enough seats to approve the application. Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
, the leader of the Progressive Party, strongly objected to the suggestion that his party would assist the government in this matter, however. The anti-EU Left-Green coalition partner accepted that in spring 2010, the minister for foreign affairs would present to the parliament a bill on talks with the EU.
On 10 May 2009, Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir announced that the government intended to move towards membership more quickly than previously expected. She announced that a bill would be introduced in parliament on 15 May 2009, authorising the opening of accession talks with the EU. She also stated that she was confident that the legislation would pass, and that she had secured a parliamentary majority on the issue, despite the official opposition to talks by one of her coalition partners. She went on to say that she expected an official application to be submitted no later than July 2009. This seemed to leave Iceland on course to join the EU along with Croatia in 2011, as predicted by EU Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn
. The government has stated that the issue will be put to a vote once an accession agreement has been negotiated.
The motion to file an application for membership was officially introduced in parliament on 25 May 2009. Voting was to have been held on 13 July, but was postponed until 16 July. First, a proposal by the Independence Party to hold a referendum on the membership application was defeated by 32 to 30 with one abstention. Then the Social Democratic Alliance's proposal to apply for membership immediately was approved with a narrow majority of 33 to 28 votes with 2 abstentions.
Political parties' stances towards membership application
: it must be a politically stable democracy that respects human rights. Then negotiations will take place which will consider the country's fulfilment of economic criteria, the country's degree of adoption of EU legislation, and whether there shall be any exceptions.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn
has claimed that negotiations on an accession treaty would take less than a year, because Iceland has already adopted two-thirds of EU legislation in relation to the EEA
. He has on other occasions claimed that the negotiations could take up to four years.
On 30 January 2009 Rehn commented that Iceland could enter the European Union promptly in 2011, at the same time as Croatia
, saying that Iceland is an old democracy but also that it should not get special treatment. Fishing quotas and Icelandic whaling
may be the toughest issues in any such negotiations.
On 16 July 2009 the Althing voted in favour of accession talks with the EU (with 33 votes in favour, 28 against, and 2 abstentions). The head of the parliamentary committee on EU affairs, Árni Þór Sigurðsson, has stated that Iceland will not be ready to join the EU any earlier than 2013. However the government stated that it planned to complete negotiations by the end of 2010.
On 17 July 2009 the application for Icelandic membership of the EU was handed to the government of Sweden
, which then held the presidency of the Council of the European Union
, by the ambassador of Iceland in Stockholm
. The application was again handed over by the Icelandic foreign minister to the Swedish one in a ceremony in Stockholm on 23 July 2009.
The letter of application was dated 16 July 2009. The application was acknowledged by the Council of the European Union on 27 July 2009.
, then holder of the EU presidency
, announced that it would prioritise Iceland's EU accession process. On 24 July, the Lithuanian Parliament unanimously approved and gave full support for Iceland’s membership application to join the European Union. Later, on 27 July, Malta
also announced that it supports Iceland's EU bid.
In September 2009, the Spanish
foreign minister visited Iceland to discuss the progress of the Icelandic application; Spain chaired the EU from January–June 2010. On 8 September, the EU commission sent a list of 2,500 questions to Iceland about its fulfilment of political and economic criteria and adoption of EU law. Iceland returned answers to them on 22 October 2009. On 2 November, Iceland selected a chief negotiator for the membership negotiations with the EU: Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson, Iceland's Ambassador to Belgium
.
In January 2010 the Icesave dispute became an issue. The United Kingdom
and the Netherlands
want the Icelandic government to repay them the costs incurred in covering their citizens' losses due to the bankruptcy of some Icelandic banks. If Iceland does not pay, obstacles to membership could be laid by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. If Iceland agrees to repay the UK and the Netherlands, the added debt will make it difficult to adopt the euro, a major reason for Iceland to join the EU, because of the convergence criteria
. Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos
, who then held the Presidency of the European Union, has said that the Icesave dispute does not impact Iceland's application. David Miliband
, then British Foreign Minister, reaffirmed the UK's continued support for Iceland's EU application. Additionally, the Dutch Foreign Minister has stated that while the opening of negotiations will not be blocked by the Icesave dispute, it must be resolved before Iceland's accession.
In February 2010, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy recommended to the Council of the European Union to start accession negotiations with Iceland. While it was expected that Iceland would be considered for official candidate status at the EU summit in March, this was delayed to allow the German national parliament, which has the authority to debate important EU policy such as enlargement before action is taken by the government, to consider the matter. The German Parliament voted in favour of opening membership negotiations on the 22 April 2010. The European Council
decided in June to begin negotiations, and on 17 June 2010, the EU granted official candidate status to Iceland by formally approving the opening of membership talks.
Negotiations for membership of the EU started on 27 July 2010., with screening of specific chapters beginning on the 15 November 2010. Iceland became eligible for pre-accession funding from the EU through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance
(IPA) since July 2010
The first annual report on negotiations was published in November 2010: the main issues at stake remain the fisheries sector and whale hunting, while progress has been done concerning the Icesave dispute.
The screen process ended and formal negotiations began on 27 June 2011. Four chapters were opened: science and research; education and culture; public procurement; information society and media. The first two were immediately closed, a first in accession history. Iceland aims to open half of the remaining chapters under the Polish presidency (the second half of 2011) and the other half under the following Danish presidency (first half of 2012). Despite disputes over Icesave and fishing, and the fact there is at present no majority in favour of membership in Iceland, Icelandic Foreign Minister Skarphéðinsson is confident Iceland will join and looks to the EU's flexibility in negotiations with Norway during the 1990s as hope. He does however claim that ultimately it is the major fishing countries of the EU who will influence the outcome of the application.
On 27 June 2011 negotiations began and the first four chapters were opened. It is uncertain how long that would take, but there are expectations that this would be finished during 2012. Thus, Iceland could become an EU member in 2013-14 since it would take around 2 years for all EU member states to ratify the Accession Treaty. It is possible that Iceland and Croatia could join the EU together, although Croatia finished negotiations during the first half of 2011, so Iceland would most likely join later than Croatia.
The screening is a series of meetings between the commission and the applicant country examining the level of fulfilment of the EU acquis. It allows candidate countries to familiarise themselves with the acquis and it allows the Commission and the Member States to evaluate the degree of preparedness of candidate countries prior to negotiations.
, thus joining the eurozone
.
If Iceland were to be admitted to the EU, it would be the smallest member state in terms of population. Since its area (103,000 km2) is close to the average for EU countries (165,048 km2), it would be the least densely populated country in the EU. The table below shows its population and population density in comparison to some of the other member states
.
Iceland’s GDP per capita is among the highest in Europe as is shown in the following tables (First table is from the statistic of IMF for 2010 and the second one is from the CIA World Factbook statistics for 2009):
The Icelandic
language would also be one of the smallest official languages of the EU in terms of native speakers (together with Irish
and Maltese
).
Lobbyist organisations
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
applied to join the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
on 16 July 2009. Negotiations formally began 27 July 2010 and, despite Iceland already being heavily integrated into the EU market, will face contentious issues on fisheries which could potentially derail an agreement. After an agreement is concluded, the accession treaty must be ratified by every EU state and be subject to a national referendum in Iceland. Prior to application, Iceland was part of the EU's internal market
Internal Market (European Union)
The European Union's Internal Market seeks to guarantee the free movement of goods, capital, services, and people – the EU's four freedoms – within the EU's 27 member states.The Internal Market is intended to be conducive to increased competition, increased specialisation, larger...
and the Schengen Area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
.
Pre-application relationship
Iceland is a member of the European Free Trade AreaEuropean Free Trade Area
At present, there are three multi-lateral free trade areas in Europe, plus the European Union which has a single market, and one former-FTA in recent history...
(EFTA), which is between non-EU European countries, but is integrated into the EU's European Economic Area
European Economic Area
The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...
(EEA) and the Schengen Area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
. Through the EEA, Iceland participates in a non-voting capacity in certain EU agencies and programmes, including enterprise, environment, education (including the Erasmus Programme
Erasmus Programme
The Erasmus Programme , a.k.a. Erasmus Project is a European Union student exchange programme established in 1987...
) and research programs. Iceland also contributes funds to the social and economic cohesion in the EU/EEA. Iceland also regularly consults the EU in foreign affairs and frequently aligns itself to EU foreign policy
Common Foreign and Security Policy
The Common Foreign and Security Policy is the organised, agreed foreign policy of the European Union for mainly security and defence diplomacy and actions. CFSP deals only with a specific part of the EU's external relations, which domains include mainly Trade and Commercial Policy and other areas...
. Iceland also participates in EU civilian peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
missions.
Iceland's participation in Schengen ensures free movement of people between itself and the rest of the EU. It is also associated with the Dublin Convention
Dublin Convention
The Dublin Regulation is a European Union law that determines the EU Member State responsible to examine an application for asylum seekers seeking international protection under the Geneva Convention and the EU Qualification Directive, within the European Union...
on justice and home affairs cooperation. Iceland's membership of Schengen is due to its previous participation in the Nordic Passport Union
Nordic Passport Union
The Nordic Passport Union allows citizens of the Nordic countries: Denmark , Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland to travel and reside in other Nordic countries without a passport or a residence permit.- Establishment :...
which has been subsumed into Schengen as Nordic countries acceded to the EU. Several thousand Icelanders travel to and study or work in the EU. A large majority of the foreigners in Iceland likewise come from the EU.
Trade relations
Economic relations between Iceland and the European Union are primarily governed by two agreements. The first is a bilateral free trade agreement which they signed in 1972 and the second is the agreement on the EEAEuropean Economic Area
The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...
in 1994. The EEA was established to give Iceland (as well as a few other European countries outside the EU) access to the EU's internal market
Internal Market (European Union)
The European Union's Internal Market seeks to guarantee the free movement of goods, capital, services, and people – the EU's four freedoms – within the EU's 27 member states.The Internal Market is intended to be conducive to increased competition, increased specialisation, larger...
. Iceland's access to the EU market excludes agriculture and fisheries, these are dealt with by separate bilateral agreements. Iceland is legally bound to implement into its own law all EU directives applicable to the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital
Four Freedoms (European Union)
The European Union's Internal Market seeks to guarantee the free movement of goods, capital, services, and people – the EU's four freedoms – within the EU's 27 member states.The Internal Market is intended to be conducive to increased competition, increased specialisation, larger...
. This is complemented by regular meetings between EU and Icelandic officials, including a twice-yearly meeting of EEA foreign ministers.
| Icelandic-European trade | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Direction of trade | Goods (2009) | Services (2008) | FDI (2008) |
| EU to Iceland | €1.34 billion | €502 million | €3.2 billion |
| Iceland to EU | €2.17 billion | €620 million | €6.5 billion |
78% of Icelandic exports went to the EU and 52% of Icelandic imports came from it making the EU Iceland's most important trading partner, followed by Norway. Traditionally, the Icelandic economy
Economy of Iceland
The economy of Iceland is small and subject to high volatility. In 2007, gross domestic product was US$12.144bn in total and $38,400 per capita, based on purchasing power parity estimates...
focused on fisheries and renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
, but it has been diversifying with aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
production, pharmaceuticals, information technologies, tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and the financial sector. Iceland is still a large exporter of fish (the third largest exporter to the EU after Norway and China) with a world trade surplus of €1.1 billion in 2008. In fisheries, the EU had a 2009 trade deficit of €879 million. Up until Iceland's 2009 financial crisis, its commercial services sector grew rapidly, accounting for almost 35% of is total exports (goods and services combined).
Pre-2008 opinion
From 1995Icelandic parliamentary election, 1995
The 1995 Icelandic parliamentary election took place on 8 April 1995 in Iceland to elect members of the Althing....
to 2007
Icelandic parliamentary election, 2007
The 2007 Icelandic general elections were held on 12 May 2007. In this election, the public elected 63 members of parliament using proportional representation from six constituencies to the Alþingi...
the government coalition of the conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
Independence Party
Independence Party (Iceland)
The Independence Party is a centre-right political party in Iceland. Liberal conservative and Eurosceptic, it is the second-largest party in the Althing, with sixteen seats. The chairman of the party is Bjarni Benediktsson and vice chairman is Ólöf Nordal....
(Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) and the liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
Progressive Party
Progressive Party (Iceland)
The Progressive Party is an agrarian, liberal and centrist party in Iceland. The party is a member of the Liberal International. Current chairman of the party is Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson. He was elected on January 18, 2009. His predecessor was Valgerður Sverrisdóttir, who only served as...
(Framsóknarflokkurinn), opposed joining the EU, while the opposition Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) supported membership negotiations.
Former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Iceland
The Prime Minister of Iceland is Iceland's head of government. The prime minister is appointed formally by the President and exercises executive authority along with the cabinet subject to parliamentary support....
Halldór Ásgrímsson
Halldór Ásgrímsson
Halldór Ásgrímsson is an Icelandic politician, formerly Prime Minister of Iceland from 2004 to 2006 and leader of the Progressive Party from 1994 to 2006.-Education and early life:...
predicted on 8 February 2006 that the country would join the EU by 2015. He added that the decisive factor would be the future and the size of the Eurozone
Eurozone
The eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender...
, especially whether Denmark, Sweden and the UK would have adopted the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
or not. His prediction received some criticism, not the least from people within his own government.
Another former Prime Minister, Geir H. Haarde
Geir Haarde
Geir Hilmar Haarde was Prime Minister of Iceland from 15 June 2006 to 1 February 2009 and Chairman of the Icelandic Independence Party from 2005 to 2009. Geir initially led a coalition between his party and the Progressive Party...
, has on a number of occasions stated his opposition to EU membership, both as Foreign Minister under Halldór Ásgrímsson and after taking office as Prime Minister. In response to Halldór Ásgrímsson's earlier prediction, Haarde said, "I don't share that point of view. Our policy is not to join in the foreseeable future. We are not even exploring membership." In a speech at a conference at the University of Iceland
University of Iceland
The University of Iceland is a public research university in Reykjavík, Iceland, and the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. Founded in 1911, it has grown steadily from a small civil servants' school to a modern comprehensive university, providing instruction for about...
on 31 March 2006, Geir Haarde repeated what he had said on a number of occasions—that no special Icelandic interests demanded membership of the EU. In the same speech he further explained in detail why it would not be in the interest of Iceland to adopt the euro.
Following the 2007 election
Icelandic parliamentary election, 2007
The 2007 Icelandic general elections were held on 12 May 2007. In this election, the public elected 63 members of parliament using proportional representation from six constituencies to the Alþingi...
, the Independence Party and the Social Democratic Alliance formed a new coalition with a policy of not applying for membership, but setting up a special committee to monitor the development within the EU and suggest ways to respond to that.
Due to Iceland's limited currency, the government has explored the possibility of adopting the euro without joining the European Union. The EU, however, says that Iceland cannot join the Economic and Monetary Union
Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union
The Economic and Monetary Union is an umbrella term for the group of policies aimed at converging the economies of members of the European Union in three stages so as to allow them to adopt a single currency, the euro. As such, it is largely synonymous with the eurozone.All member states of the...
(EMU) without becoming a full EU member state (all other non-EU states do so because they previously used a member state currency that was replaced by the euro).
Effect of 2008 financial crisis
At a meeting with members of his party on 17 May 2008, Geir Haarde said he believed the cost of joining the EU in his opinion simply outweighed the benefits and therefore he was not in favour of membership. However, in October 2008, during talks to repatriate a portion of Iceland's foreign invested pension funds—Iceland having been particularly hard hit by the financial crisis of September 2008—the unions demanded that Iceland apply for EU membership in return for wage restraint.On 30 October 2008, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir
Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir
Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir is an Icelandic politician and former vice-chairman of the Independence Party 2005–2010. She was the Minister of Education, Science and Culture from 31 December 2003 to 1 February 2009 and has been a member of the Althing since 1999...
, minister of education said that "Iceland has to define its long-term national interests and part of that is a revision of the currency regime, including a possible EU application" and that application for membership needed to be discussed “in weeks rather than months”.
Two weeks later, on 17 November 2008, the Independence Party announced it would hold its party congress in January 2009 instead of Autumn 2009, to reconsider the possibility of applying for EU membership; the Progressive Party also announced it would hold its party congress in January, after two anti-EU MPs (including the party leader) resigned and were replaced by MPs more positive towards EU application.
The Progressive Party accepted at its congress to support application for EU membership but with very strict conditions including one demanding full authority for Iceland over its fishing grounds and other national resources. When the government headed by the Independence Party dissolved in January the party decided to postpone its congress until March. The congress eventually decided an unchanged opposition to EU membership but also claimed that if the issue were opened by others both an application and a initial accession treaty with the EU should be put to a referendum.
2009 elections and parliamentary debate
Iceland's finance minister, Steingrimur Sigfusson, ahead of the country's first elections since its banking system collapsed in 2008, stated that "any decision for Iceland to join the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the single currency must be taken by its people, not one political party", on the subject that the issue of EU membership was the greatest threat to a stable coalition.
The 2009 elections
Icelandic parliamentary election, 2009
A parliamentary election was held in Iceland on 25 April 2009 following strong pressure from the public as a result of the Icelandic financial crisis...
, which followed the Icelandic financial crisis, saw the Progressive Party switch to supporting EU membership but the Independence Party called for a referendum prior to the start of negotiations. The Social Democratic Alliance made joining the EU a key issue in their campaign.
After the win of the pro-EU Social Democratic Alliance in the 2009 election
Icelandic parliamentary election, 2009
A parliamentary election was held in Iceland on 25 April 2009 following strong pressure from the public as a result of the Icelandic financial crisis...
Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir , , is the Prime Minister of Iceland. Many years a politician, she was previously Iceland's Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security from 1987–1994 and 2007–2009. She has been a member of the Althing for Reykjavík constituencies since 1978, winning re-election on eight...
spoke of an immediate application to the European Union and adoption of the euro
Enlargement of the eurozone
The enlargement of the eurozone is a continuing process within the European Union . All member states of the EU, except for Denmark, the United Kingdom and de facto Sweden, are obliged to adopt the euro as their sole currency when they meet the criteria...
within four years as a way to deal with the country's debt.
In late April 2009, it was announced that the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, a member state of the European Union with whom Iceland has had a long history of fishing and territorial water disputes, supported Iceland joining the EU.
In early May 2009, it was leaked that the issue of application for EU membership would likely be left to the parliament, in which the Alliance, the Progressive Party and the Citizens' Movement together already had enough seats to approve the application. Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson is an Icelandic politician and chairman of the Progressive Party. He was elected to the Althing as the 8th member for the Reykjavík North constituency on 25 April 2009....
, the leader of the Progressive Party, strongly objected to the suggestion that his party would assist the government in this matter, however. The anti-EU Left-Green coalition partner accepted that in spring 2010, the minister for foreign affairs would present to the parliament a bill on talks with the EU.
On 10 May 2009, Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir announced that the government intended to move towards membership more quickly than previously expected. She announced that a bill would be introduced in parliament on 15 May 2009, authorising the opening of accession talks with the EU. She also stated that she was confident that the legislation would pass, and that she had secured a parliamentary majority on the issue, despite the official opposition to talks by one of her coalition partners. She went on to say that she expected an official application to be submitted no later than July 2009. This seemed to leave Iceland on course to join the EU along with Croatia in 2011, as predicted by EU Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn
Olli Rehn
Olli Ilmari Rehn is a Finnish politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs. He had previously served as Commissioner for Enlargement...
. The government has stated that the issue will be put to a vote once an accession agreement has been negotiated.
The motion to file an application for membership was officially introduced in parliament on 25 May 2009. Voting was to have been held on 13 July, but was postponed until 16 July. First, a proposal by the Independence Party to hold a referendum on the membership application was defeated by 32 to 30 with one abstention. Then the Social Democratic Alliance's proposal to apply for membership immediately was approved with a narrow majority of 33 to 28 votes with 2 abstentions.
Political parties' stances towards membership application
| Group | Party | Position | Main argument as stated on party websites | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government Government Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized... |
Social Democratic Alliance | "We want to apply for an EU-membership and start negotiations. We will seek a national unity in this matter and use the national referendum as the highest court." | ||
| Left-Green Movement Left-Green Movement The Left-Green Movement is a left-wing political party in Iceland.It was founded in 1999 by a few members of Alþingi who did not approve of the planned merger of the left parties in Iceland that resulted in the founding of the Social Democratic Alliance... |
"EU-membership would diminish the independence of Iceland even more than the EEA Agreement does and jeopardise Iceland's control over its resources." | |||
| Opposition Opposition (politics) In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country... |
Independence Party Independence Party (Iceland) The Independence Party is a centre-right political party in Iceland. Liberal conservative and Eurosceptic, it is the second-largest party in the Althing, with sixteen seats. The chairman of the party is Bjarni Benediktsson and vice chairman is Ólöf Nordal.... |
"The Independence Party puts forth the clear demand that the application for Iceland's membership of the European Union will be withdrawn without delay." | ||
| Progressive Party Progressive Party (Iceland) The Progressive Party is an agrarian, liberal and centrist party in Iceland. The party is a member of the Liberal International. Current chairman of the party is Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson. He was elected on January 18, 2009. His predecessor was Valgerður Sverrisdóttir, who only served as... |
"The Progressive Party believes the interests of the country and the nation are best secured outside the EU." | |||
| The Movement The Movement (Iceland) The Movement is a political movement in Iceland. It has 3 members of parliament in the Alþingi . All of them are former Citizens' Movement MPs.*Þór Saari, economist*Margrét Tryggvadottir, editor... |
||||
| No seats in the parliament | Citizens' Movement Citizens' Movement (Iceland) The Citizens' Movement is a political party in Iceland, founded by a number of grassroots movements in the lead up to the 2009 election during the Global Recession, which hit Iceland particularly hard.... |
|||
| Liberal Party | EU stance was decided in a party members' poll in January 2009. | |||
Application for membership
To become a member, a country must first apply and then be recognised as a candidate country. For that to happen the country must satisfy the first of the Copenhagen criteriaCopenhagen criteria
The Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a country is eligible to join the European Union. The criteria require that a state has the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, has a functioning market economy, and accepts the obligations and intent of the EU...
: it must be a politically stable democracy that respects human rights. Then negotiations will take place which will consider the country's fulfilment of economic criteria, the country's degree of adoption of EU legislation, and whether there shall be any exceptions.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn
Olli Rehn
Olli Ilmari Rehn is a Finnish politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs. He had previously served as Commissioner for Enlargement...
has claimed that negotiations on an accession treaty would take less than a year, because Iceland has already adopted two-thirds of EU legislation in relation to the EEA
European Economic Area
The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...
. He has on other occasions claimed that the negotiations could take up to four years.
On 30 January 2009 Rehn commented that Iceland could enter the European Union promptly in 2011, at the same time as Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, saying that Iceland is an old democracy but also that it should not get special treatment. Fishing quotas and Icelandic whaling
Whaling in Iceland
Whaling in Iceland began with spear-drift whaling which was practiced from as early as the 12th century and continued in a relic form until the late 19th century...
may be the toughest issues in any such negotiations.
On 16 July 2009 the Althing voted in favour of accession talks with the EU (with 33 votes in favour, 28 against, and 2 abstentions). The head of the parliamentary committee on EU affairs, Árni Þór Sigurðsson, has stated that Iceland will not be ready to join the EU any earlier than 2013. However the government stated that it planned to complete negotiations by the end of 2010.
On 17 July 2009 the application for Icelandic membership of the EU was handed to the government of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, which then held the presidency of the Council of the European Union
Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers...
, by the ambassador of Iceland in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. The application was again handed over by the Icelandic foreign minister to the Swedish one in a ceremony in Stockholm on 23 July 2009.
The letter of application was dated 16 July 2009. The application was acknowledged by the Council of the European Union on 27 July 2009.
Opening and progress of accession negotiations
SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, then holder of the EU presidency
President of the European Council
The President of the European Council is a principal representative of the European Union on the world stage, and the person presiding over and driving forward the work of the European Council...
, announced that it would prioritise Iceland's EU accession process. On 24 July, the Lithuanian Parliament unanimously approved and gave full support for Iceland’s membership application to join the European Union. Later, on 27 July, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
also announced that it supports Iceland's EU bid.
In September 2009, the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
foreign minister visited Iceland to discuss the progress of the Icelandic application; Spain chaired the EU from January–June 2010. On 8 September, the EU commission sent a list of 2,500 questions to Iceland about its fulfilment of political and economic criteria and adoption of EU law. Iceland returned answers to them on 22 October 2009. On 2 November, Iceland selected a chief negotiator for the membership negotiations with the EU: Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson, Iceland's Ambassador to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
In January 2010 the Icesave dispute became an issue. The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
want the Icelandic government to repay them the costs incurred in covering their citizens' losses due to the bankruptcy of some Icelandic banks. If Iceland does not pay, obstacles to membership could be laid by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. If Iceland agrees to repay the UK and the Netherlands, the added debt will make it difficult to adopt the euro, a major reason for Iceland to join the EU, because of the convergence criteria
Convergence criteria
The euro convergence criteria are the criteria for European Union member states to enter the third stage of European Economic and Monetary Union and adopt the euro as their currency...
. Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos
Miguel Ángel Moratinos
Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé is a Spanish diplomat and politician, a member of the Socialist Workers' Party and member of Congress where he represents Córdoba....
, who then held the Presidency of the European Union, has said that the Icesave dispute does not impact Iceland's application. David Miliband
David Miliband
David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
, then British Foreign Minister, reaffirmed the UK's continued support for Iceland's EU application. Additionally, the Dutch Foreign Minister has stated that while the opening of negotiations will not be blocked by the Icesave dispute, it must be resolved before Iceland's accession.
In February 2010, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy recommended to the Council of the European Union to start accession negotiations with Iceland. While it was expected that Iceland would be considered for official candidate status at the EU summit in March, this was delayed to allow the German national parliament, which has the authority to debate important EU policy such as enlargement before action is taken by the government, to consider the matter. The German Parliament voted in favour of opening membership negotiations on the 22 April 2010. The European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
decided in June to begin negotiations, and on 17 June 2010, the EU granted official candidate status to Iceland by formally approving the opening of membership talks.
Negotiations for membership of the EU started on 27 July 2010., with screening of specific chapters beginning on the 15 November 2010. Iceland became eligible for pre-accession funding from the EU through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance
Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance
The Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, or simply IPA, is a new funding mechanism of the European Union. As of 2007, it replaced previous programmes such as the PHARE programme and CARDS...
(IPA) since July 2010
The first annual report on negotiations was published in November 2010: the main issues at stake remain the fisheries sector and whale hunting, while progress has been done concerning the Icesave dispute.
The screen process ended and formal negotiations began on 27 June 2011. Four chapters were opened: science and research; education and culture; public procurement; information society and media. The first two were immediately closed, a first in accession history. Iceland aims to open half of the remaining chapters under the Polish presidency (the second half of 2011) and the other half under the following Danish presidency (first half of 2012). Despite disputes over Icesave and fishing, and the fact there is at present no majority in favour of membership in Iceland, Icelandic Foreign Minister Skarphéðinsson is confident Iceland will join and looks to the EU's flexibility in negotiations with Norway during the 1990s as hope. He does however claim that ultimately it is the major fishing countries of the EU who will influence the outcome of the application.
Timeline
- 1970-01-01: Iceland joins EFTAEuropean Free Trade AssociationThe European Free Trade Association or EFTA is a free trade organisation between four European countries that operates parallel to, and is linked to, the European Union . EFTA was established on 3 May 1960 as a trade bloc-alternative for European states who were either unable to, or chose not to,...
- 1992-05-02: Iceland signs EU Association AgreementEuropean Union Association AgreementA European Union Association Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and a non-EU country that creates a framework for co-operation between them. Areas frequently covered by such agreements include the development of political, trade, social, cultural and security links...
(entering the EEAEuropean Economic AreaThe European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...
) - 1994-01-01: EU Association Agreement entry into force
- 2001-03-25: Iceland joins The Schengen AreaSchengen AreaThe Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
- 2009-07-16: Iceland submits membership application
- 2009-09-08: European Commission presents legislative questionnaire to Iceland
- 2009-10-22: Iceland responds to questionnaire
- 2010-06-17: Iceland is officially recognised as candidate
- 2010-07-27: Membership negotiations start
- 2010-11-15: Screening process starts
- 2011-06-21: Screening process ended
- 2011-06-27: First four chapters are opened, two are closed immediately
- 2011-10-19: First meeting of the accession conference with Iceland at deputy level took place. Two chapters were opened and closed immediately.
- 2011-12-12: An accession conference at ministerial level is planned for 12 December
On 27 June 2011 negotiations began and the first four chapters were opened. It is uncertain how long that would take, but there are expectations that this would be finished during 2012. Thus, Iceland could become an EU member in 2013-14 since it would take around 2 years for all EU member states to ratify the Accession Treaty. It is possible that Iceland and Croatia could join the EU together, although Croatia finished negotiations during the first half of 2011, so Iceland would most likely join later than Croatia.
Negotiation progress
| Acquis chapter | EC Assessment At Start | Screening Started | Screening Completed | Chapter Opened | Chapter Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Free Movement of Goods | No major difficulties expected | 07.12.2010 | 08.12.2010 | - | – |
| 2. Freedom of Movement For Workers | Generally already applies the acquis | 09.02.2011 | 09.02.2011 | 19.10.2011 | 19.10.2011 |
| 3. Right of Establishment & Freedom To Provide Services | Further efforts needed | 09.12.2010 | 09.12.2010 | - | – |
| 4. Free Movement of Capital | Considerable efforts needed | 10.12.2010 | 10.12.2010 | - | – |
| 5. Public Procurement | No major difficulties expected | 15.11.2010 | 15.11.2010 | 27.06.2011 | – |
| 6. Company Law | No major difficulties expected | 16.11.2010 | 16.11.2010 | - | – |
| 7. Intellectual Property Law | Generally already applies the acquis | 20.12.2010 | 20.12.2010 | 19.10.2011 | 19.10.2011 |
| 8. Competition Policy | Generally already applies the acquis | 06.12.2010 | 06.12.2010 | – | – |
| 9. Financial Services | Generally already applies the acquis | 18.11.2010 | 15.12.2010 | – | – |
| 10. Information Society & Media | Generally already applies the acquis | 17.11.2010 | 17.11.2010 | 27.06.2011 | – |
| 11. Agriculture & Rural Development | Considerable efforts needed | 30.11.2010 | 27.01.2011 | – | – |
| 12. Food Safety, Veterinary & Phytosanitary Policy | Further efforts needed | 14.02.2011 | 31.03.2011 | – | – |
| 13. Fisheries | Considerable efforts needed | 16.12.2010 | 02.03.2011 | – | – |
| 14. Transport Policy | Further efforts needed | 04.05.2011 | 09.06.2011 | – | – |
| 15. Energy | No major difficulties expected | 12.05.2011 | 20.06.2011 | – | – |
| 16. Taxation | Considerable efforts needed | 03.02.2011 | 04.03.2011 | – | – |
| 17. Economic & Monetary Policy | Considerable efforts needed | 17.03.2011 | 17.05.2011 | – | – |
| 18. Statistics | Considerable efforts needed | 02.05.2011 | 07.06.2011 | – | – |
| 19. Social Policy & Employment | No major difficulties expected | 07.02.2011 | 16.03.2011 | – | – |
| 20. Enterprise & Industrial Policy | Generally already applies the acquis | 12.04.2011 | 25.05.2011 | – | – |
| 21. Trans-European Networks | Generally already applies the acquis | 06.05.2011 | 10.06.2011 | – | – |
| 22. Regional Policy & Coordination of Structural Instruments | No major difficulties expected | 31.01.2011 | 22.02.2011 | – | – |
| 23. Judiciary & Fundamental Rights | Generally already applies the acquis | 11.01.2011 | 11.02.2011 | – | – |
| 24. Justice, Freedom & Security | Further efforts needed | 14.04.2011 | 24.05.2011 | – | – |
| 25. Science & Research | Generally already applies the acquis | 25.11.2010 | 14.01.2011 | 27.06.2011 | 27.06.2011 |
| 26. Education & Culture | Generally already applies the acquis | 26.11.2010 | 14.01.2011 | 27.06.2011 | 27.06.2011 |
| 27. Environment | Further efforts needed | 22.11.2010 | 19.01.2011 | – | – |
| 28. Consumer & Health Protection | No major difficulties expected | 11.04.2011 | 16.05.2011 | – | – |
| 29. Customs Union | Further efforts needed | 08.03.2011 | 06.04.2011 | – | – |
| 30. External Relations | No major difficulties expected | 08.04.2011 | 19.05.2011 | – | – |
| 31. Foreign, Security & Defence Policy | No major difficulties expected | 07.04.2011 | 20.05.2011 | – | – |
| 32. Financial Control | Considerable efforts needed | 29.11.2010 | 02.02.2011 | – | – |
| 33. Financial & Budgetary Provisions | No major difficulties expected | 07.03.2011 | 04.04.2011 | – | – |
| 34. Institutions | Nothing to adopt | – | – | – | – |
| 35. Other Issues | Nothing to adopt | – | – | – | – |
| Progress | 33 out of 33 | 33 out of 33 | 6 out of 33 | 4 out of 33 |
- A document explaining the general process and each chapter
- Situation of policy area at the start of membership negotiations is according to the 2010 EC Opinion.
- Timetable for screening meetings 2010-2011
The screening is a series of meetings between the commission and the applicant country examining the level of fulfilment of the EU acquis. It allows candidate countries to familiarise themselves with the acquis and it allows the Commission and the Member States to evaluate the degree of preparedness of candidate countries prior to negotiations.
Public opinion
Various polls have been taken on public opinion regarding starting accession negotiations, joining the EU and adopting the euroEuro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
, thus joining the eurozone
Eurozone
The eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender...
.
| Date | Poller | Question | Yes | No | Unsure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2005 | Capacent-Gallup for The Federation of Icelandic Industries | Start negotiations | 55% | 37% | 8% |
| Join | 43% | 37% | 20% | ||
| Adopt Euro | 37% | 54% | 9% | ||
| February 2006 | Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið is the Icelandic newspaper with the largest circulation. Fréttablaðið is in Icelandic and is distributed free of charge to homes in parts of the country.It is published by the media group 365 prentmiðlar.... |
Join | 34% | 42% | 24% |
| September 2007 | Capacent-Gallup | Start negotiations | 59% | 26% | 15% |
| Join | 48% | 34% | 18% | ||
| Adopt Euro | 53% | 37% | 10% | ||
| February 2008 | Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið is the Icelandic newspaper with the largest circulation. Fréttablaðið is in Icelandic and is distributed free of charge to homes in parts of the country.It is published by the media group 365 prentmiðlar.... |
Join | 55.1% | 44.9% | - |
| More reasons than last year | 54.7% | 7.3% | 38.1% | ||
| 24 November 2008 | Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið is the Icelandic newspaper with the largest circulation. Fréttablaðið is in Icelandic and is distributed free of charge to homes in parts of the country.It is published by the media group 365 prentmiðlar.... |
Submit application | 60% | 40% | - |
| January 2009 | Join | 38% | 38% | 24% | |
| Submit application | 40% | 60% | - | ||
| March 2009 | Start negotiations | 64% | 28% | 8% | |
| 11 April 2009 | Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið is the Icelandic newspaper with the largest circulation. Fréttablaðið is in Icelandic and is distributed free of charge to homes in parts of the country.It is published by the media group 365 prentmiðlar.... |
Submit application | 45.6% | 54.4% | 0% |
| 5 May 2009 | Capacent Gallup | Start negotiations | 61% | 27% | 12% |
| Join | 39% | 39% | 22% | ||
| 10 June 2009 | Capacent Gallup | Referendum on application | 76.3% | 17.8% | 5.8% |
| 30 July 2009 | Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið is the Icelandic newspaper with the largest circulation. Fréttablaðið is in Icelandic and is distributed free of charge to homes in parts of the country.It is published by the media group 365 prentmiðlar.... |
Start negotiations | 51% | 36% | 13% |
| 4 August 2009 | Capacent Gallup | Join | 34.7% | 48.5% | 16.9% |
| 15 September 2009 | Capacent Gallup | Join | 32.7% | 50.2% | 17% |
| If referendum now? | 38.5% | 61.5% | 0% | ||
| Happy with application? | 39.6% | 43.2% | 17.1% | ||
| 5 November 2009 | Bifröst University Research Institute | Join | 29.0% | 54% | 17% |
| Start negotiations | 50.5% | 42.5% | 7% | ||
| 28 February 2010 | Capacent Gallup | Join | 33.3% | 55.9% | 10.8% |
| 5 March 2010 | Capacent Gallup | Join | 24.4% | 60% | 15.5% |
| If referendum now? | 30.5% | 69.4% | 0% | ||
| 14 June 2010 | MMR | Withdraw EU application | 57.6% | 24.3% | 18.1% |
| 6 July 2010 | Capacent Gallup | Join | 26% | 60% | 14% |
| 2 September 2010 | Capacent Gallup | Start negotiations | 38.8% | 45.5% | 15.7% |
| 29 September 2010 | Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið is the Icelandic newspaper with the largest circulation. Fréttablaðið is in Icelandic and is distributed free of charge to homes in parts of the country.It is published by the media group 365 prentmiðlar.... |
Continue with negotiations | 64.2% | 32.8% | 3% |
| 24 January 2011 | Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið is the Icelandic newspaper with the largest circulation. Fréttablaðið is in Icelandic and is distributed free of charge to homes in parts of the country.It is published by the media group 365 prentmiðlar.... |
Continue with negotiations | 65.4% | 34.6% | 0% |
| 10 March 2011 | Capacent Gallup | Join | 31.4% | 50.5% | 18% |
| If referendum now? | 38.9% | 61.1% | 0% | ||
| 17 March 2011 | MMR | Join | 30% | 55.7% | 14.2% |
| 16 June 2011 | Capacent Gallup | Join | 37.3% | 50.1% | 12.6% |
| 30 June 2011 | Capacent Gallup | Withdraw EU application | 51.0% | 38.5% | 10.5% |
| 11 August 2011 | Capacent Gallup | Join | 35.5% | 64.5% | 0% |
| 12 September 2011 | Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið Fréttablaðið is the Icelandic newspaper with the largest circulation. Fréttablaðið is in Icelandic and is distributed free of charge to homes in parts of the country.It is published by the media group 365 prentmiðlar.... |
Continue with negotiations | 63.4% | 36.6% | 0% |
| 16 November 2011 | MMR | Withdraw EU application | 50.5% | 35.3% | 14.2% |
| 17 November 2011 | Capacent Gallup | Continue with negotiations | 53.1% | 46.9% | 0% |
Comparison with other EU countries
If Iceland were admitted to the EU, its capital Reykjavík would be both the northernmost and westernmost EU capital. The table below shows the coordinates of Reykjavík in comparison to other EU capitals:| Most northerly EU capitals | Most westerly EU capitals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | City | Coordinates | Country | City | Coordinates |
 IcelandIceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
Reykjavík Reykjavík Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay... |
64°08′N 21°56′W | Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
Reykjavík Reykjavík Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay... |
64°08′N 21°56′W |
 FinlandFinland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... |
60°10′N 24°56′E |  PortugalPortugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... |
38°42′N 9°08′W |
 EstoniaEstonia Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies... |
Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... |
59°26′N 24°44′E |  IrelandIreland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
Dublin | 53°20′N 6°15′W |
 SwedenSweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... |
59°21′N 18°04′E |  SpainSpain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... |
40°23′N 3°43′W |
If Iceland were to be admitted to the EU, it would be the smallest member state in terms of population. Since its area (103,000 km2) is close to the average for EU countries (165,048 km2), it would be the least densely populated country in the EU. The table below shows its population and population density in comparison to some of the other member states
Member State of the European Union
A member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in...
.
| Population figures | Population density | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU rank | Country | Population | EU rank | Country | Population | Area (km2) | Density |
| Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
319,756 | Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
319,756 | 103,001 | 3.1 | ||
| 27 |  MaltaMalta Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in... |
416,333 | 27 | Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
5,350,475 | 338,145 | 15.82 |
| 26 |  LuxembourgLuxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south... |
502,207 | 26 | Sweden |
9,347,899 | 449,964 | 20.77 |
| 25 |  CyprusCyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... |
801,851 | 25 | Estonia |
1,340,274 | 45,226 | 29.64 |
| 14 |  HungaryHungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... (EU median) |
10,013,628 | 14 | Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... (EU median) |
11,317,192 | 92,391 | 109 |
 EU Average |
18,565,179 | EU Average |
18,565,179 | 160,177 | 115.9 | ||
| 2 |  FranceFrance The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
64,709,480 | 2 |  Netherlands |
16,576,800 | 41,526 | 399.2 |
| 1 |  GermanyGermany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
81,757,595 | 1 | Malta |
416,333 | 316 | 1317.5 |
Iceland’s GDP per capita is among the highest in Europe as is shown in the following tables (First table is from the statistic of IMF for 2010 and the second one is from the CIA World Factbook statistics for 2009):
| EU Ranking | Country | GDP per capita |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south... |
$80,304 |
| 2 | Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
$40,777 |
| 3 |  AustriaAustria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
$39,454 |
| 4 | Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
$38,685 |
| 5 | Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
$37,775 |
| 6 |  DenmarkDenmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
$36,764 |
| Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
$36,681 | |
| EU Average |
$30,237 | |
| 27 |  RomaniaRomania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
$11,766 |
| EU Ranking | Country | GDP per capita |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south... |
$78,000 |
| 2 | Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
$42,200 |
| Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... |
$39,600 | |
| 3 | Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
$39,400 |
| 4 | Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
$39,200 |
| EU Average |
$32,600 | |
| 27 | Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
$11,500 |
The Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
language would also be one of the smallest official languages of the EU in terms of native speakers (together with Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and Maltese
Maltese language
Maltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
).
See also
- Future enlargement of the European UnionFuture enlargement of the European UnionThe future enlargement of the European Union is theoretically open to any European country which is democratic, operates a free market and is willing and able to implement all previous European Union law...
- Norway–European Union relations
- Arctic policy of European UnionArctic Policy of European UnionArctic Policy of European Union - If Accession of Iceland to the European Union occurs, the EU will increase its Arctic influence and possibly gain permanent observer status in the Arctic Council...
External links
Official websites- Iceland's application to the EU, Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs
- Icelandic mission to the EU, Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs
- European Union - Iceland relations, European External Action Service
- European Union delegation to Iceland, European External Action Service
- European Union - Icelandic trade relations, European Commission
Lobbyist organisations