12/18/2012

Want the application on ice

The majority of the Foreign Committee of the Icelandic parliament put forth a proposal this morning calling for Iceland's application to join the European Union to be set aside. The matter then should not be addressed again unless accepted in a referendum.

The majority was formed by the representatives of the Independence Party, the Progressive Party, which are in opposition, and Jón Bjarnason, MP for the Left Green Movement and former Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, but his party is part of the governing coalition. The proposal will be put to the parliament in order to find out if the majority of the MPs will support it.

Earlier this month Árni Þór Sigurðsson, MP for the Left Greens and chairman of the Foreign Committe, said that he wanted to slow down Iceland's accession process to the EU until after the general elections scheduled in April next year. A new government would then have the task of decided whether to carry on with the process or not. He is, however, not expected to support the proposal.

Source:
Viðræðurnar við ESB verði settar á ís (Mbl.is December 18, 2012)

See also:
Wants to slow down the EU accession

Majority wants to scrap the EU application

Majority against EU membership for three years
Iceland's business leaders reject EU membership
Iceland's industry turns against EU membership
67 percent would reject EU membership