Iceland begins early voting on restarting EU accession talks

Iceland opened early voting on Monday for an August 29 referendum on whether the country should restart accession negotiations with the European Union, more than a decade after the talks were suspended.

Voters are being asked: “Should Iceland reopen accession negotiations with the European Union?”

A Gallup poll published on June 29 indicated a closely divided electorate. Among 1,993 people surveyed, 52 percent supported restarting negotiations and 48 percent opposed the proposal.

Iceland applied to join the EU in 2009 after a financial crisis severely affected its economy. The accession process was officially suspended in 2015.

Fishing and agriculture are expected to become major negotiating issues if talks resume because of their importance to Iceland’s economy.

Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir told visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot last week that Iceland would seek favourable terms for its fishing and farming sectors.

Iceland already participates in the European single market through the European Economic Area and belongs to the Schengen free-travel zone. It is not part of the European Union Customs Union.

A vote to reopen negotiations would not make Iceland an EU member. A separate referendum would be required before the country could join the bloc.