Iceland: Welcome to the EU?
This Saturday, the people of Iceland will vote on whether the country should begin accession talks with the EU. Iceland had already entered negotiations with the EU in 2010 but the government in Reykjavík suspended them in 2013, mainly due to differences over fisheries policy. Commentators look to the north - and to the future.
A perfect candidate
The EU can can count itself lucky if Iceland becomes a member, says the Financial Times:
“Iceland is a stable, prosperous and sophisticated democracy with a 39bn GDP. As a member of the European Economic Area – the single market uniting the EU together with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – as well as the Schengen passport-free zone and the European Free Trade Association, it is already largely compliant with EU rules. As a full member, Iceland would be a net contributor to the EU budget. It would rebalance the past eastward expansion trend financially and geographically. Better yet, it would reaffirm the principle of merit-based accession: an important message for current candidates like some western Balkan countries and Ukraine that are struggling with reforms.”
The country would be safer
Dagens Nyheter hopes the Icelanders will vote "yes" on 29 August:
“Iceland is safer within the European Community. And it is better to be a full EU member than to be content with being part of the European Economic Area (EEA), as is currently the case. ... For the EU, this island with its volcanic underground would be an ideal addition. Iceland is a wealthy country that could become a net contributor to the EU budget. ... Icelandic EU membership would also bring the Nordic countries closer together. Since Finland and Sweden joined Nato there has been a united Nordic bloc. And if Iceland were to take the plunge there would soon be full Nordic representation in the EU, which would strengthen our influence in Brussels.”
All about fishing
For Icelanders, the fishing industry will be one of the key points in any accession negotiations with the EU, Jutarnji list notes:
“The main 'battleground' for Icelanders is the fishing industry, which is a source of pride and a symbol of Icelandic sovereignty after a series of cod wars with the UK from which Iceland emerged victorious. Many Icelanders fear a loss of sovereignty. ... Iceland has a unique model for managing its fisheries, which account for around 35–40 percent of the country's export earnings. ... EU [Enlargement] Commissioner Marta Kos has spoken of possible 'creative solutions' for fisheries and agriculture. ... However, Icelandic Eurosceptics fear that any concessions Iceland might secure during accession negotiations could lose their force over time.”
Now or never
The time is right, says TVNet:
“If the vote is 'yes', Iceland will return to the negotiating table with the EU, and Brussels will have to decide how to resume the process that was suspended more than a decade ago. As the country is already well integrated into the single market and has done much of the groundwork in previous negotiations, things could move forward relatively quickly, provided that compromises can be reached on contentious issues, particularly fisheries. A 'no' vote, on the other hand, would mean that the issue would likely disappear from Iceland's political agenda for the foreseeable future. The Frostadóttir government itself is framing the vote as a choice between 'now or never'.”