Iceland vote on EU bid delayed until Thursday

(REYKJAVIK) - Iceland's parliament has delayed until Thursday a vote on whether the small North Atlantic island should seek to join the European Union.

Parliament speaker Asta Ragnheidur Johannesdottir told AFP that an agreement had been reached between the leaders of the political parties late Wednesday to hold the vote the next day at 1200 GMT.

Iceland's parliament, the Althingi, had been expected to vote on the issue Wednesday evening.

However, a number of small political parties protested that there were still questions to be answered on the impact of EU membership on the agriculture sector, forcing the vote to be postponed.

If lawmakers back the move, the Icelandic government will then present its application to the current 27-member bloc, and if successful, ultimately to Icelandic voters in a referendum.

"Let us hope that the result of the vote will be such that this government will (be able) continue," Iceland's Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir said on Monday.

Sigurdardottir was a strong advocate of closer ties with the EU and adopting the euro currency in April's general election when she led the Social Democrat party to victory.

But in giving voters the final say on joining the EU, the government has acknowledged the divisions within its own ranks.

While the Social Democrats favour membership of the bloc, their junior coalition partners in the Left Green Movement oppose it.

The government needs 32 votes from the 63-seat Althingi and will need support from members from the eurosceptic Greens and the opposition parties.

Critics say EU membership would pose a risk to Iceland's lucrative fishing industry as it would have to respect the bloc's regulations and quota systems.