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### Viewing cable 09REYKJAVIK129, ICELAND MOVING FORWARD WITH EU MEMBERSHIP PROCESS

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09REYKJAVIK129 | 2009-07-28 17:05 | 2011-01-13 05:05 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Reykjavik

`

    VZCZCXRO8502
    PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
    RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK
    RUEHYG
    DE RUEHRK #0129/01 2091725
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    P 281725Z JUL 09
    FM AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4126
    INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
    RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
    RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

` `

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 REYKJAVIK 000129

    SIPDIS

    SENSITIVE

    STATE FOR EUR DAS GILCHRIST, EUR/NB, INR/B
    NSC FOR HOVENIER

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR EUN IC
    SUBJECT:  ICELAND MOVING FORWARD WITH EU MEMBERSHIP PROCESS

    ¶1. (U) Summary: Iceland is swiftly moving forward with the EU
    membership process and accession could come as early as 2012.  The
    issue remains contentious in Iceland with current popular opinion
    reportedly split down the middle.  Ultimately, the decision will
    likely come down to a national referendum that could take place in
    late 2011 or early 2012.  Organizations on both sides of the
    argument are already trying to get out in front of the issue and
    influence the public well in advance of the referendum.  End
    Summary.

    The Process
    ---------------
    ¶2. (U) When Iceland's Foreign Minister, Ossur Skarphedinsson,
    presented his country's official application for EU membership in
    Sweden on July 23, it commenced a lengthy process that likely won't
    conclude until late 2012 or early 2013.  The first hurdle was
    overcome on July 27 when the foreign ministers of the twenty-seven
    EU member states discussed the issue at a meeting of the General
    Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels.  The Council had
    no objections to Iceland's EU application and sent the matter on to
    the European Commission for further study.  The Commission, which is
    comprised of twenty-seven commissioners who are bound to support the
    interests of the EU rather than their home states, will review
    Iceland's candidacy based upon its ability to fulfill the Copenhagen
    criteria--a series of measures that assess a candidate country's
    ability to adhere to the political, economic and monetary
    requirements of the EU.

    ¶3. (U) The Commission then turns its completed report over to the
    European Council, which is comprised of the heads of state or
    government of the EU's member states along with the President of the
    European Commission.  The Council must unanimously agree to grant
    Iceland the status of an applicant country.  A meeting of the
    European Council is scheduled for December and it is possible that
    Iceland's candidacy could be voted on at that time.  If the European
    Council grants Iceland candidate status, then accession negotiations
    will probably begin shortly thereafter in early 2010.  The
    negotiating process could take up to three years, but will likely be
    shorter since Iceland has already adopted much of the EU's laws and
    regulations through its membership in the European Economic Area
    (EEA) agreement and its status as a Schengen country. Once the
    negotiations are complete, a treaty of accession will be signed,
    which must be ratified by each individual EU member state, as well
    as the parliaments of the EU and Iceland.

    ¶4. (U) Before Iceland's parliament approves this final treaty,
    however, Iceland intends to hold a referendum on the subject,
    probably in 2011 or 2012.  The referendum process is expected to be
    a contentious affair as current public opinion on the issue is
    split.  Media sources are currently reporting that about forty
    percent of the population is pro-European and an equal percentage is
    against the proposal with the remaining twenty percent undecided.
    Referendums under the parliamentary constitution are not legally
    binding, but the Icelandic government has stated that the "will of
    the people" would ultimately determine if Iceland enters into the
    EU.

    The Pro-European Argument
    ---------------------------
    ¶5. (SBU) Pro-European groups are already mobilizing in an attempt to
    influence public opinion, well in advance of the referendum.
    EmbOffs met on July 23 with two leading members of an organization
    named the European Movement, which is emerging as one of the main
    pro-Europe voices in the debate.  They were both quick to stress
    that Iceland, following the bank collapse last October, desperately
    needs the stability that EU membership can provide.  Specifically,
    they said, the Euro was needed because it would bring stability
    through lower interest rates, lower food prices, lower mortgage
    prices, and less inflation.

    ¶6.  (SBU) They said that most of the supporters for entry into the
    EU are comprised of educated professionals in the higher income
    brackets.  They also suggested that basically all industries, except
    for the fishery and agriculture sectors, support EU membership.
    Interestingly, younger people, who historically have supported EU
    membership, seem to currently be gravitating away from that view.
    This greatly disappointed and perplexed them and they posited that
    perhaps the anti-European groups were utilizing technology more
    effectively than their organization.  The anti-European message,
    they suggested, can more easily be condensed into a few words and is
    therefore more digestible to younger people via SMS and Twitter.
    They said that their organization intends to adjust its tactics and
    will make young people a prime target of their education campaign.

    ¶7.  (SBU) They also expressed their belief that the controversial
    Icesave issue needs to be resolved before the EU process can gain

    REYKJAVIK 00000129  002 OF 002

    any real traction. (Note: A bill is currently being debated in the
    Icelandic Parliament which would guarantee the repayment of billions
    of dollars to citizens from Britain and the Netherlands who held
    Icelandic accounts prior to the banking collapse in October.  End
    Note.) They said that despite politicians' claims to the contrary,
    there is a definite connection between the need to pass the Icesave
    bill and Iceland's quest for EU membership.  Iceland, they said,
    will not have any credibility in the eyes of the EU unless it steps
    up to the plate and takes responsibility for the Icesave debt.

    The Anti-European Argument
    -----------------------------
    ¶8. (SBU) The anti-European movement is also strongly working to get
    out its message.  EmbOffs met on July 24 with a spokesperson for a
    group called Global Perspective which appears poised to become the
    main opposition voice in the debate over Icelandic EU membership.
    He said that the primary drawback to joining the EU for Iceland is
    the loss of sovereignty and independence.  He also suggested that
    the Icelandic fishing industry would be damaged irreparably by
    joining the EU.  The EU, in his opinion, is likely to abolish the
    200 nautical mile fishing zone that Iceland has established,
    effectively opening up Iceland's territorial waters to fishing by
    other countries.  Even if Iceland were able to hold on to its
    territorial waters through negotiation, the Global Perspective
    spokesperson felt that EU rules would be so restrictive, dictating
    even what type of fishing lines Icelandic fishermen can use, that
    the fishing industries would be crippled.

    ¶9. (SBU) Joining the EU, he added, would also be the death knell to
    the agricultural sector in Iceland.  The EU, he said, would likely
    force Iceland to do away with the government subsidies and
    protectionist tariffs that keep Icelandic agricultural products from
    becoming prohibitively expensive.  Without this government support,
    he claimed, over 70 percent of Icelandic farmers would go out of
    business.  This statistic was true, he said, even if Iceland is able
    to negotiate a deal similar to what Finland achieved in which it had
    been able to keep some government subsidies in place for
    agricultural goods grown above a latitude of 62 degrees--an
    exemption provided by the EU in acknowledgment that farmers
    operating in such northern climates are at a significant
    disadvantage as compared to their European counterparts who work in
    more temperate climes.

    ¶10. (SBU) Ultimately, he felt that Iceland would follow a path
    similar to Norway, where voters have twice voted against membership
    in major European institutions in national referendums (Note: Norway
    voted against the EC in 1972 and against EU membership in 1994. End
    Note.)  He felt that negotiations would go slowly and that EU
    fatigue would set in with the Icelandic population.  The process
    could slow down even further, he suggested, due to the bureaucracy
    of the EU, specifically because there will be a new European
    Commission this year.  This Commission, he suggested, may be unable
    to complete its work in time for the vote by the European Council in
    December.

    ¶11. (SBU) Comment:  Iceland is a fiercely independent nation that
    has long cherished its autonomy.  However, the banking crisis was a
    serious jolt to this insular society and has made the once
    unthinkable idea of EU membership a very real possibility.  A final
    decision on the matter is several years down the road and will
    likely depend on Iceland's economic situation at that time.  While
    much press has centered on the possibility of fast-tracking
    Icelandic accession into the EU, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was
    quick to note that accession by 2012 would be "ambitious, and a
    best-case scenario."  If a near term positive economic recovery
    takes place, Icelanders may be quick to see the banking crisis as a
    blip on the screen and revert to their more autonomous tendencies.
    If the hard times linger, however, EU membership may be a much more
    realistic possibility.  Polling after the economic crisis hit in
    October 2008 showed a high degree of support for immediate entry
    into the EU; current polls have seen significantly reduced support
    for EU accession.

    ¶12. (SBU) Support for entering into negotiations for Iceland's
    accession into the EU does not necessarily mean that Icelanders
    support its ultimate entry.  Many Icelanders are interested in
    seeing what kind of deal can be negotiated with the EU, but are not
    going to accept just any proposal that is put forward.  Although
    Icelanders are attracted to the stability that the Euro would
    provide, many are unwilling to make tough concessions in the fishing
    and agriculture industries.  As a result, the battle over the EU
    accession has only just begun.  End Comment.
    KLOPFENSTEIN

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