Minister meets with EU Commissioners and European Parliament MEP

Össur Skarphéðinsson Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland met today and yesterday with three European Union Commissioners and two representatives of the European Parliament. The meetings followed yesterday‘s  meeting of the Accession Conference with Iceland at Ministerial level  in Brussels where the first four chapters of the negotiations were opened.

In a meeting with EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, the substance and process of the negotiations was the main topic. The Foreign Minister reiterated Iceland's willingness to open the chapters on fisheries and agriculture as soon as possible.

The foreign minister met with EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki. They discussed the reform of EU‘s Common Fisheries Policy, the accession negotiations and the status of the mackerel-talks between Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands and the EU.

Minister Skarphedinsson also met with Olli Rehn, EU Commissioner for Economy and Monetary affairs. The minister briefed Commissioner Rehn on Iceland‘s economic policy and the commissioner in turn discussed EU‘s measures to ensure financial stability in the EU zone.

Lastly the foreign minister met with German MEP Martin Schultz,who heads the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.They discussed the negotiations and the EP‘s role in those. The minister also met with Steffen Weber, the Secretary-General of the EU Arctic Forum and Chief Adviser on the Arctic region inside the European Parliament, on possible cooperation between Iceland and the EU on Arctic issues.