Iceland takes first steps to come in from the cold

2.26.58pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 3rd Feb 2008

Diana Wallis MEP has been interviewed for Icelandic Television which is contributing several programmes as part of the slowly gathering debate about Iceland's possible membership of the EU.

Iceland, although not a member of the EU is, along with Norway and Liechtenstein, a member of the EEA. The recent change in government in Iceland which now includes the pro-EU Social Democrat Alliance as coalition members, means that the whole debate about Icelandic-EU relations has started afresh.

Diana Wallis MEP, interviewed in the European Parliament, is a former President of the Parliament's delegation to Iceland. She said:

"I am pleased to see a debate is starting in Iceland over its relations with the EU. This is not before time. I believe that the EEA has run its course and that Iceland needs to look beyond this rather out-dated agreement, not least now that there is real pressure on the domestic currency."

Diana Wallis is planning a fact-finding trip to Iceland in April.

An extensive poll, released on 11 September 2007, by Capacent Gallup showed that 48% of respondents were in favour of EU membership while 34% opposed. Furthermore 58.6% wanted to begin admission negotiations with EU while only 26.4% opposed, and 53% were in favour of adopting the euro, 37% opposed and 10% undecided. The poll also showed that supporters of the 4 biggest political parties in Iceland were all in favour of starting admission negotiations in a "clean" majority, that is to say more were in favour of negotiations than those who opposed and those who were undecided combined.