Brussels, 16/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - The provisional agenda for the European Council on 10-11 December, which was discussed by the General Affairs Council on Monday 16 November, does not make any mention of “Enlargement”, but heads of state and government may yet be called on to agree to the opening of accession negotiations with Iceland. The Swedish Presidency, keen to see Iceland join the EU quickly, would like to get the go-ahead from the European Council so that accession talks can begin before the end of the year, “though, in the first instance, that will depend on whether the European Commission can provide us with its opinion before the December summit,” a well-placed source within the Swedish Presidency says.
At the European Commission, where work is continuing relentlessly on the opinion, the word is that the text might be ready for the start of December. The Icelandic government has responded in full to the questionnaire put to it in September by Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn; its responses are currently being studied by the Commission. “The opinion may be ready for the European Council” in December, “it is within the realms of the possible,” Rehn's spokesman told us on Monday. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the Commission will give anything other than a favourable opinion, but all member states have to agree for accession negotiations to begin (as always in enlargement issues, there has to be unanimity within the Council). If agreed, this would see Iceland's candidacy progress at record speed, since its application for accession was only submitted in July of this year. A few days later, on 27 July, the Council asked the Commission to prepare its opinion. In the normal way of things, drafting an opinion takes roughly a year, “but the fact that Iceland already applies two thirds of the acquis communautaire has allowed us to go faster than with other applicants,” says the Commission, still insistent that “the analysis will be carried out with the same degree of rigour as for any other applicant country”. (H.B./transl.rt)