Iceland no longer an EU candidate country

The government has approved that it does not intend to begin again membership talks with the European  Union. Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, gave an account of this in an interview with Spegillinn at RÚV.

The minister gave the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia a letter of this content, but Latvia is now chairing the Council of Ministers of the EU.

The website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs reveals that the EU and Iceland have had a discussion about the position of Iceland as a candidate country.

"There it is revealed that the government does not intend to revitalize the accession process, that a new policy takes over the obligations of the former government relating to the accession process and that the EU takes measures with regard to the fact that Iceland is no longer considered an EU candidate country.

If this process should be started again, the government today thinks it is important that it will not be done without asking the Icelandic people if they want to become a member of the EU. At the same time, an emphasis is put on strengthening the execution of the EEA Agreement and a closer cooperation with the EU on that basis."

At the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs it says that the policy of both the ruling parties is clear, that "the interests of Iceland are better served outside the EU. This policy was clear during the election campaign and is revealed in the government agreement, as the discussions were put on hold and decided not to continue the discussions without a referendum.

It was also decided that a report should be made on the discussions and the position within the EU and its development. The government has followed that policy and abided by the government agreemennt. By this the position towards the EU is clear, its member states and the Icelandic nation in this matter. In the meetings of the Prime Minister of Iceland with the the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council in July 2013, this policy was explained. In those meetings it became very clear that those two leaders of EU institutions would be happy with a clear policy on the assession process."

Chairmen of opposition parties are furious about the government's decision, saying it is bypassing parliament and parliament must be part when such a decision is made.