Brussels, 12/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - Four new chapters in accession negotiations with Iceland have been opened and provisionally closed, while the chapter on budget and financial provisions was opened on Monday 12 December during Iceland's third accession conference. These four chapters involve company law (chapter 6), enterprise and industrial policy (20), trans-European networks (21) and the judiciary and fundamental rights (23). According to a European Commission press release, “the meeting marks another important stage in Iceland's EU accession negotiations”. The EU congratulated Iceland for the progress it had made.
The ministerial conference also confirmed the opening and provisional closing of chapters on free movement of workers (chapter 2), intellectual property law (7), decided by alternates on 19 October 2011. In addition, the Commission explained that the analytical examination process, known as screening, on the EU acquis, is almost completed.
New meetings between the EU and Iceland are planned for the first half of 2012. The country opened 11 chapters out of 35 negotiating chapters, of which eight have provisionally been closed. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Füle said that this is a remarkable achievement: “I am very satisfied with the pace of ongoing negotiations.” Accession negotiations are relatively simple because Reykjavik, as a member of the European Economic Area, has already integrated a substantial part of European legislation. Nonetheless, certain chapters (such as the one on fisheries which has not yet been opened) still present obstacles to EU accession. (CG/transl.fl)