EU fisheries chief hints at flexibility in Iceland membership deal

Costas Kadis, the European Union fisheries commissioner, has said that a membership agreement with Iceland could include some deviations from EU rules, mbl.is reported.

Kadis made the comments in a reply last week to Greek Member of the European Parliament Emmanouil Fragkos, who had asked him to confirm that Iceland would have to fully implement the EU common fisheries policy before joining the bloc.

Fragkos also asked whether permanent special arrangements, separate rules or lasting exemptions from the EU’s core principles were being considered.

Kadis did not answer that question directly. Instead, he wrote: “A membership agreement may include certain deviations from EU rules that apply to a new member state.” He added that it was too early to discuss the matter because membership negotiations were currently suspended.

mbl.is reported that the wording appeared to suggest that only adjustment periods and temporary exemptions would be available.

Kadis had previously referred only to “flexibility” in membership agreements. Iceland’s foreign minister, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, has said that Kadis told her permanent exemptions would be available, but he declined to confirm that in a reply to Morgunbladid.

Last week, Mogens Schou, a former Danish official involved in EU fisheries management, told Fishing Daily that Icelanders should not expect to remain outside the EU fisheries policy.

IntraFish quoted David Phinnemore, a professor of European studies in Belfast, as saying that Iceland should not expect to retain control over its fisheries if it joined the EU.