Iceland

Political system: Unitary parliamentary republic
Capital city: Reykjavik
Total area: 103,001 km2
Population: 318,006
Currency: Icelandic króna

Iceland's application for membership of the EU was submitted on 17 July 2009.

At its meeting on 27 July 2009 the Council decided to implement the procedure laid down in Article 49 of the Treaty on EU and invite the Commission to submit to the Council its opinion on this application. The Commission delivered a positive opinion on 24 February 2010 and recommended to open accession negotiations.

The European Council of 17 June 2010 decided that accession negotiations should be opened. The Council agreed on a framework for negotiations with Iceland on 26 July 2010.

The first meeting of the Accession Conference with Iceland at Ministerial level opened accession negotiations on 27 July 2010.

Subsequently, Accession Conferences with Iceland at Ministerial level have been held in Brussels on 27 June 2011, 12 December 2011, 22 June 2012 adn 18 December 2012.

Accession Conferences at Deputy level were also held in Brussels on 19 October 2011, 30 March 2012 and 24 October 2012. 

Overall, of the 35 negotiation chapters, 27 chapters have been opened for negotiations of which 11 chapters have been provisionally closed.

For further information see: Commission's Enlargement site for Iceland