17/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - Reykjavik fully meets the political criteria for EU membership. Although the Icelandic government has decided to suspend the accession negotiations (see EUROPE 10920), the Commission nevertheless presented a short “purely factual” report on 16 October, as part of the enlargement package. The report states that Iceland continues to meet the political criteria for EU membership “fully” and can be considered a functioning market economy. Since the Commission's last report and Iceland's decision, nine negotiating chapters had been opened and one provisionally closed. In total, 27 negotiating chapters had been opened, of which 11 had been provisionally closed since the start of the negotiations in June 2012. (CG/transl.fl)