Birgir says most EU accession terms are already set

Most of the conditions Iceland would have to accept as a member of the European Union are already established, Birgir Ármannsson, a lawyer and former speaker of Iceland’s parliament, told mbl.is.

Speaking to Andrés Magnússon on Morgunblaðið’s Dagmál programme, Birgir said it was unrealistic to describe possible accession talks between Iceland and the EU as merely exploratory. Countries beginning accession negotiations do not meet the bloc with a blank page, he said.

“The European Union has specific rules and a specific procedure,” Birgir said. Applicant countries must adopt the bloc’s rules in stages or demonstrate that they can do so upon joining. “That means that most of the package is already in place.”

Birgir also warned against placing too much faith in Iceland’s ability to negotiate exemptions or special arrangements. The European Court of Justice tends to interpret such exceptions narrowly, he said.

He criticised promises made in the debate about possible EU funding for infrastructure, agriculture and rural areas. “These are of course some kind of tempting offers, and no one can promise this,” he said.

The same applied to the euro and claims that adopting it would lead to lower interest rates and food prices. Accession talks could not tell Icelanders what effect adopting the euro would have on the economy, Birgir said. “It is all speculation.”

He also said it was unrealistic to view potential EU funding as a pure gain for Iceland. “A wealthy country like Iceland would be a net contributor to the European Union, not a recipient,” Birgir said.