REYKJAVIK – Iceland’s parliament voted yesterday to authorise the government to begin accession talks with the European Union, an all but unthinkable prospect until the global financial crisis wrecked the country’s economy.
Icelandic membership of the union is still years away, after what promise to be arduous negotiations, especially over the Iceland’s cherished fishing rights.
Members of parliament voted 33 to 28 in favour of an EU application after a final round of marathon debates lasting almost a week. The government needed 32 votes to gain approval. Two MPs abstained.
Prime minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, whose Social Democrats fought hard to win support for the bill from their EU-sceptical coalition partner, has made joining the union a priority, seeing it as key to Iceland’s economic recovery.
“This is probably the most historic vote in the history of our parliament . . . I have no doubt that this decision will be beneficial to the people of Iceland,” she said. “Now we must ensure that we bring home a treaty that we can put before the people and recommend.”
Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country holds the revolving EU presidency, said that he welcomed Iceland’s decision to apply for membership.
A Gallup poll in May showed 61.2 per cent in favour of EU talks and 29.6 per cent against. But those polled were evenly split over the issue of actual membership.
“The application has to go in the next few days. It has to reach the foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on the 27th of this month,” Ms Sigurdardottir said.
“After that, it goes into the normal process to the heads of state in December, after which the accession talks can begin. My guess is that these talks will take 2½ to 3½ years.”
Arni Thor Sigurdsson, chairman of the parliamentary committee handling EU issues, has said Iceland could join the union in 2013 at the earliest. – (Reuters)