The European Union Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn said on Monday that Iceland could take the “fast track” to EU membership if it decided to apply to join the bloc, DeutscheWelle reports.
As a democratic European nation and an existing member of the EEA, the country already has already negotiated two thirds of the required entry criteria and could therefore hope to become a full member with relative ease.
The country’s fishing sector has traditionally been against EU membership; but as the economic situation continues to bite Iceland hard, membership is an increasingly popular idea in both public and political circles.
Eventual membership of the euro currency would, it is hoped, help stabilise the Icelandic economy, whose tiny fee-floating currency is vulnerable to volatility in difficult economic times.
Iceland has very much convenience to enter in EEC, in
my opinion.
The process of accessing to euro would take years. I don’t see how this is a solution to the financial crisis Iceland is facing….
It is the worse thing Iceland could do.
We are better off on our own. no matter how many years it takes to pay off our debts.
EU will ‘rape’ Iceland!
“EU will ‘rape’ Iceland!”
What a strange statement, what makes you think Iceland would not benefit from EU as Spain, Portugal or Ireland have already done in the past?
“Tak” for an answer
that would be a big mistake we can over come these dificult times without eu,they will sink Iceland.
our fishing ground will get over fished. our natural resources will be used… Iceland will not be as it is today if EU get there hands on it.
No, you can get permanent “relaxations” so as to protect your fishing industry.
I do not even dare thinking what Greece (and the smaller european economies) would have been in these days if we weren’t in the EU and the eurozone…
Why would EU accept a bankrupt country as a member? EU will lose nothing if Iceland stays out.
Iceland is in EEA which is enough without full membership.
EU has a common fisheries policy. Iceland will loose all rights over its fishing grounds and without fishing Iceland is nothing
so many jobs will be lost. unemployment will be very high! Iceland will be worse off in the long run. Not only that, why would we want to join when we have been asking
europe for help since the begining of this year and along with USA said ‘no’ to us!
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO !
Just look at what happend to Germany and France in recent years two countries which wanted the euro blah blah more than anyone.
Iceland would be ruined if it did enter, I for one will Rally against the idea : (
WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN ENTERING THE EU
Strong words!
Iceland is a very nice country, which I love and visit every year. But you have to understand, that you are only 300.000 people, prode people, as we can read.
But this is a small city size in Europe.
Guys, wake up.
You are importing almost 98% of all daily goods and your fish exports are respected, but reflecting only 5% of your gross product.
You lost the last months over 40% of the currency value!
Some people lost their whole savings, most of the shares, beside Marel and Össur are good to heat your ovens, many people lost ther pensions-back-up and live time savings….
Fishing rights are negotiable, we Austrian are also not forced to sell our excellent drinking water to EU….
So please sit down, start writing pros and cons dwon on the paper and then you will see, having the EUR as a very stron curreny will make your life much more easier and you will win in general!
Otherwise you will loos your young people leaving the country, because they are definately not interested in paying back the next 100 years all your debts….
10.000 jobs are gone alreday anyway….
Please think twice.
For your future!
@ Guardian: when Greece joined the -then- EEC back in 1980, it was an almost 3rd world country. Nevertheless, we were admitted; the EU is not ONLY a bureucrats club based in Brussels (which it is sometimes), but also a common share of values. And as unbelievable you may find it, these values exist, but you need to go deep into Europe’s soul to understand it.
I respect Icelanders’ dislike of the EU, but I don’t think that in a changing world, one can afford rejecting an idea based on a short-sided view…
@ WATERMAN: I was talking about the small EU economies and how we were protected against the crisis (bank accounts guaranteed up to 100.000 € per person etc) which would have never hapenned if we still had our good old drachma
to jean pierre
how can u compare portugal, spain and ireland whith iceland? do u know what ur talking about?
I have to admit that in this case, euro saved also Italy (it would have been a catastrophe with our old poor lira), so finally it’s been not just an evil…
“We are better off on our own. no matter how many years it takes to pay off our debts”. It’s up to you, but maybe you have to be ready to give up your 4×4 monsters, your wild shopping in Kringlan, etc, etc…
And about your natural resources, you had already began in selling them out (see Alcoa, Rio Tinto etc…) by yourself.
Icelandic government shoul clearly explain to it’s nation what is going to hapen if they will become the member of the EU and what awaits them if they don’t get in the EU. After that, there will be a referendum and the nation will decide it’s future.
Manfredi, there is a difference between selling your resources and having them taken by Brussels.
As I see EU is a bad choice for Norway and Iceland, especially now that EU is unable to decide on anything, since the parliament reforms fell to the ground.
Iceland would be better joining the EU. But will EU permit Iceland into it is a subject of question because of rampant inflation, unstable currency. Even if they join iceland will have to pay a heavy price for it. EU may ask krona value to be fixed much lower and lose best fishing grounds in world.
I totally agree with Manfredi. Iceland is a beautiful country and I really would like to keep it like this (even Iceland itself already sold out many parts of his beauty only for profit-means, like the “dam” for example). But as a country importing nearly everything (besides of delicious fish and some potatoes) you have to face the truth. EU-membership will make your life much more easier. (Not to talk about the economic “back-up” of the other EU-states).
But imagine what would happen to Iceland, if the EU decides that they do not want a heavily indebted state like Iceland? Iceland’s economy would just collapse in some years … but of course, you’ll have enough fish to survive ;-)
@WATERMAN
Well, you can’t really compare Germany and France to Iceland. I would not say, that Germany (and so did France) profited from changing to Euro, but other countries such as Italy or Greece did.
Germany (and so did France) had a very stable economy and currency before introducing the EU, so they did not really profit from changing to Euros (but they took profit in other fields, that come with the EU membership).
So, if Iceland has such a stable currency as the German D-Mark was, I really would advice you not to go for a full EU-membership.
But would you really like to compare the former german D-Mark with the current icelandic Krona …?
I’m definitely pro-EU and pro-euro! Not just for economical, but for political, geographical and sentimental reasons too. If we were in the EU, we would never end up in this situation or at least we would have somebody to rely on. Who is Iceland asking for help now? IMF, Russia, Japan…! I don’t know about you, but I feel embarrassed! People fear change, they want to be ‘independent’ without someone from above (EU bureaucracy) telling them what is right and what is wrong. Which is partly all right argument if you don’t look at the bigger picture. i.e. if you are uneducated and/or stubborn. There are many arguments for both pro and against sides, however it seems to me that side never fully explains or understands why is that idea so bad! Fishery? It can be negotiated very easily. Look at the examples of countries that opt-out from certain part of agreement or treaty or have special treatment. Most notably: UK and Poland. Yes, there are some negative sides of becoming a member, but positive certainly prevails. Despite me being in favor of joining the EU, I think we shouldn’t rush into accession and the debate should be developed so both sides can argue their opinion.
France profited? Who profited? How do you dare say such a thing??? France refused the latest european nightmare by referendum, a majority voted against it. Then our dear government passed it by law, going right over the will of the people.
Yeah, join Europe, Islanders. Join Europe to loose control over your destiny. Join Europe to be forced to eat genetically modified foods (Europe forbids compulsory labelling of GMOs). Join Europe and let them set the fishing quotas. Join Europe and only find straight pears in the shops because the funny shaped pears, which taste just the same but are cheaper, are forbidden. Why are funny-shaped pears cheaper? Because they can’t be sold in Europe! Join Europe and see all vegetables become illegal by default, to make a variety of plant legaly sellable you have to pay, every year… And then the plant has to be of a certain shape and size… Check it out if you think I’m joking.
France has lost a lot because of Europe. Don’t make the same mistake, Islanders, stay clear, stay free!
@France:
“Europe forbids compulsory labelling of GMOs” Who is behind this? I know Sweden and Denmark wants the gene-food to be labelled, but still they say a majority is against it? How can this be!
it is dangerous for an economy to so heavily depend on fishing and banking. From this crisis,Iceland government should think of CHANGE, think of how to diversify and expand its industries. Iceland is full of energy, and deserted land, is it possible to use them to build warm house for organic agricultural products ? A more solid agriculture is important.
Adopting Euro is cucial, otherwise foreign workers will leave, in Iceland, human resource is so precious, they should find ways to attract people to work their, to fill in the vacancy in hospital, school, and architechure industry etc. (It is so amazing in Iceland, the mojority houses are not so beautiful, but they are all so expensive!)
It is time for Icelander to jump out of the old thinking/fishing pattern, time to find a blue sea to harvest.
Joining the EU and the euro won’t help you come out from this crisis, but will save you from the next!
Apart from some sentimental nationalistic guys, I really doubt that our countries “lost” their identity and values while members of the EU..
You’re a great people, and being islanders make you feel proudly independentist. Rightly so. But the world has changed and none of our nations is really big enough not to be economically overwhelmed by bigger guys like the US, Russia, China, India, Brazil..
The other option for you is being independent only at words, like you are now. And being overdependent on market volatility, speculation and other unaccountable powers you have to deal with.
Iceland MUST keep total control over its fishing EU or no EU .also we should process more of the fish in Iceland to create more jobs .Maybe some of recently fired bankers could find work in the factories,to bring them back to reality and remember what Iceland was first built from.
Hi again,
Just a few words on the benefits or disavantages to go to EU: There are both benefits and disavantages. But I think that it is not possible to have your own currency with a so small economy, I live in France in Rennes, which is itself in a France region: Brittany where there are more than 2 million inhabitants.
Brittany is itself too small to live alone, so Brittany is importing and exporting food in all Europe, we have competitors in Danemark and Poland and Italy. Brittany was never crushed by EU, on the contrary we got a lot of help during the 70′ and 80′.
It’s the same in all the G15, the groupe of Europe nations that uses Euro, all regions are tightly interconnected with many commercial exchanges.
What I mean is that today you have to live in an interconnected world, and having the same currency helps a lot. And a part of the huge increase in richness that was experienced in many European countries, is because of the huge infusion of money by EU from the 70′ to now (mainly by Belgian, German, Nederlands and French citizens at that time) to other countries. This money was used to create infrastructure, bridges (“bru” in Icelandic if memories serves me) roads, aiports and so on. Believe me there was little corruption, EU is really good in project management and reporting!
Please recall that if Europe is as bureaucratic as it is told, it is also a long term project to end several centuries of wars through the continent.
It’s not a project to create another empire…
“they will rape Iceland”, “they will sink it”. Please, folks, raise the debate..
On Oct 22, 2008, Petros (Athens) said:
@ Guardian: when Greece joined the -then- EEC back in 1980, it was an almost 3rd world country.
And Iceland is different? How?
Iceland will, of course, require the UK’s approval to join the EU as any country can veto entry.
That approval will probably require Iceland’s commitment to fulfil its international responsibilities.
while EU beeing one of the most successful projects that Europe ever achieved,and other regions of the world follow Europe’s example, (AU, NAFTA, COMESUR, ASEAN,etc),i find it a bit stupid that some european nations still moan about fish, cheese, beef, water, wine, pork, liras, sterlings, kronas, marks……
apart from financial , EU is and should be a political entity…the influence that Europe can have in the future can only be secured with EU….
besides,Iceland and Norway are already EEA members,they pay millions of the currency to be part of it,and they must follow legislation from Brussels,BUT have no influence over it..how clever..!! stick to fish and krona people…!!so far they served you good…until now that is… narrow minded people always afraid of change..bless them….!!!!
christos,dublin