Reuters: Iceland’s EU decision leaves Brussels disappointed

Icelanders’ decision to vote against resuming negotiations on joining the European Union will disappoint Brussels, Reuters reports.

EU officials consider Iceland a “low-risk” country. Its accession to the bloc could help dispel skepticism about EU enlargement while also strengthening the European Union’s strategic position in the Arctic, the agency said.

According to Icelandic broadcaster RUV, the counting of almost all ballots showed that 52.5% of Icelanders opposed resuming the negotiations. “It seems the result is clear — Icelanders are saying ‘no’,” RUV said in its report.

Iceland first applied for EU membership in 2009, but in 2013, a government skeptical of the bloc halted the process. The country is already part of the Schengen Area and the European Economic Area (EEA).

By Jeyhun Aghazada