EU 'positive' over Iceland's membership talks

(REYKJAVIK) - Iceland's European Union membership negotiations are progressing well, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said Thursday following talks in Reykjavik.

"It's very positive. Last week in the progress report we made a very positive assessment of the accession process so far," Fuele told AFP in an interview following talks with Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, Foreign Minister Oessur Skarphedinsson, the speaker of parliament and union and employers' representatives.

Iceland opened negotiations to join the bloc in June, with fishing disputes and anti-EU sentiment seen as the only hurdles for a nation already well integrated with the EU.

Iceland applied for EU membership in 2009 in the wake of a catastrophic banking and economic meltdown. Thanks to its membership in the European Economic Area, the country is already fully or partially in compliance with two-thirds of EU rules.

Fuele's visit was his first since Iceland applied for membership.

Asked about the thorny negotiations yet to start on fisheries and agriculture, Fuele said he was optimistic the negotiations would be successful.

"I'm confident we will be able to take into account the specifics of Iceland without compromising on the EU rules and principles," he said.

The North Atlantic nation and the 27-country bloc are at odds over fishing rights, with a so-called "mackerel war" heating up late last year after Iceland unilaterally multiplied its catch quota. Brussels then blocked Icelandic fishing boats.

The country is also at loggerheads with the EU over its continued whaling.

But Fuele provided no details on when those chapters would be opened.

The EU is "changing our policies in many areas, in fisheries, in agriculture and in the financial sectors. That was one of the things we discussed today. I hope we will be able to talk about those issues as soon as we open the chapters," he said.

"We have six chapters open ... which I think is an excellent result ... (and) more chapters to be opened before the end of the Polish presidency (at the end of the year) and some of them to be closed," he said.