Agreement on management of EU accession negotiations in the run-up to parliamentary elections

The coalition parties in Iceland have reached an agreement on the continuation of Iceland's accession negotiations in the run up to the parliamentary elections this spring. It is now clear that the negotiations will not lead to an Accession Treaty during the present electoral term. The Government wants to ensure that the issue will be dealt with in a prudent and democratic manner and has therefore proposed that no further work will be done before the elections on the establishment of Iceland's negotiating position for the four chapters that have yet to be finalised. These are fisheries (13), Chapters 3 on right of establishment and services and 4 on free movement of capital, which have links to the fisheries chapter, and for the chapter on agriculture (11). For the sixteen chapters that are currently being negotiated as well as the two where Iceland has already delivered it‘s negotiating position, Iceland's negotiating committee and experts will continue their cooperation with the EU, without requiring further government or parliamentary decisions.

Iceland has of now handed over 29 negotiating positions, while negotiations have been opened on 27 chapters and closed on 11.