Government rules out new EU membership talks after referendum

The government will not reopen negotiations on Iceland’s membership of the European Union, Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir told mbl.is after meeting Alþingi’s Foreign Affairs Committee in Reykjavík on Monday.

“It is completely clear on our part that this government will take no further steps towards entering negotiations with the European Union. That is what this referendum was about,” she said.

Gunnarsdóttir said the government would respect the referendum result, which she described as a clear instruction not to restart membership negotiations.

The meeting also addressed whether Iceland’s application for EU membership should be formally withdrawn, but no decision was made. The minister said the meeting had instead focused on encouraging committee members to consider Iceland’s broader interests in the current international situation.

Asked whether withdrawing the application would be unreasonable, Gunnarsdóttir said the issue would be discussed.

She said Iceland should maintain strong relations with the EU and ensure that the European Economic Area Agreement continues to function. Iceland should also strengthen bilateral relations with other countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan and China.

Gunnarsdóttir said she would lead a trade delegation to Minneapolis later this year and that a previously planned visit to China would also take place. She referred to her visit to Japan earlier this year, during which Iceland and Japan signed a declaration on economic and political cooperation.

She also said Iceland needed to pursue various solutions within the EEA Agreement. Iceland has secured an exemption or solution concerning the EU emissions trading system until 2030, but other issues still required attention and pressure within the agreement, she said.

A follow-up meeting on the referendum result is planned when an opportunity arises, according to the minister.

Gunnarsdóttir said formally withdrawing Iceland’s EU membership application would make the process longer and more difficult for anyone who wanted to begin membership negotiations in the future.