Get you up to speed: Iceland Resumes EU Membership Talks After Suspension in 2015
EU MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Iceland had intended to join the EU in 2015 but it suspended its EU membership talks in 2015 after initially applying in 2009 amid the financial crisis.
SUSPENSION
According to EU officials, the island nation suspended its membership talks in 2015 following the financial crisis, which preceded the elections in the country.
MEMBERSHIP STATUS
Iceland knew it would not be able to stick to GDP and Euro targets in the aftermath of the financial crisis – so the vote did not even make it to parliament.
What we know so far
Iceland applied for membership in 2009, in the aftermath of the financial crisis, but decided to suspend talks in 2015.
The North Atlantic island submitted an EU membership application in 2009, a year after the stunning collapse of its financial sector.
Negotiations began in 2010 but were suspended three years later following parliamentary elections, and in 2015 the then-government announced the talks were terminated.
Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir told reporters she would present the proposal to parliament early next week. It remained unclear on Friday whether the government had a majority for its resolution.
“We intend to ask the nation the following question: ‘Should negotiations on Iceland’s accession to the European Union continue?’ And then the nation can answer with two options: ‘Yes, negotiations should continue’, or ‘No, they should not continue’,” she said.
An opinion poll published in early February by public broadcaster RUV found the Icelandic public was evenly divided on joining the EU, which currently has 27 members.