21/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner Olli Rehn (enlargement) said that if Iceland submitted its EU candidacy, accession negotiations could be “rapidly” carried out. The commissioner informed AFP that “Iceland is clearly a democratic European country, which is already part of the European economic area”. Nonetheless, he noted that the country's integration into European fisheries policy could pose a problem. The financial crisis has reawakened the debate on the country's possible EU accession, which Iceland has so far ruled out. As well as the Icelandic unions, which last week appealed for EU accession and adoption of the euro, Fisheries Minister Einar Gudfinnsson also recently announced that a further rethink about the EU was necessary in light of the financial crisis. An opinion poll published by the Frettabladid newspaper on Saturday, indicated that 70% of Icelanders wanted a referendum on the country joining the EU. According to this survey (carried out just before the financial crisis), 49% of Icelanders wanted accession, whilst 27% opposed it and 24% were undecided. (H.B./transl.rh)