By Victoria Friedman
The Icelandic government has proposed holding a referendum on Aug. 29 on whether to restart accession talks with the European Union.
The Cabinet said in a March 6 statement that it approved a resolution calling for the summer vote on resuming talks on joining the bloc.
The proposal must be approved by Iceland’s parliament, the Althingi, before the vote can happen.
Iceland suspended EU membership talks in 2013 after four years of negotiations.
If the Athingi approves, voters will be asked this summer to respond yes or no to the question, “Should negotiations on Iceland’s membership in the European Union continue?” according to a section on the Icelandic government’s website dedicated to the referendum.
If the Icelandic people vote yes, accession negotiations will begin. Then, if an agreement is reached between Reykjavik and Brussels, “that agreement will be subject to a second referendum on whether Iceland should join the European Union,” the government said.
In the event of a “no,” negotiations will not continue.
Iceland applied to join the bloc in 2009, after its banking sector collapsed during the 2008 global banking crisis. However, talks were suspended in 2013 when a center-right government came to power. In 2015, Reykjavik asked the bloc to no longer regard Iceland as a candidate country for EU membership.
The decision to take the question of EU membership to Iceland’s 400,000 citizens comes amid growing geopolitical instability—such as the Russia–Ukraine war—and economic pressures, which are contributing to growing concerns for the island. Iceland has no army and relies on NATO and a bilateral defense agreement with the United States for security.
Iceland has been hesitant about joining the EU over concerns that it would be forced to share its rich North Atlantic fishing grounds with boats from other EU countries.
The Nordic island already has access to the EU’s single market through its membership of the European Economic Area and the Schengen open border travel zone.
EU Enlargement
Joining the EU involves a years-long process run by its executive branch, the European Commission (EC), which assesses 35 sets of criteria, including financial systems, transparency, agricultural regulations, and freedoms such as speech and religion.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said in a statement on X on March 6 that the Icelandic people must now make a “significant decision.”
“Iceland is already a strong and trusted partner,” Kos said.
“In a world that is changing fast, the European Union offers an anchor in a community of values, prosperity, and security.”
Ten countries are currently in accession talks with the EC to join the union. According to the EU’s executive branch, the bloc could welcome new members in as few as four years.
Countries on the path to joining are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Croatia joined in 2013.
Following the EC’s release of its latest annual enlargement report, Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas said in a November 2025 statement: “Joining the EU remains a fair, tough, and merit-based process. But new countries joining the EU by 2030 is a realistic goal.”
“Expanding the EU is in our best interest. It’s a long-term investment in our security, economy, and global edge. Through enlargement Europe can grow its geopolitical power,” Kallas said.
The EU lost a member on Jan. 31, 2020, when the UK officially left the bloc following the June 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU. The UK had been a member since 1973, when the bloc was called the European Economic Community.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
