Iceland's parliament on the 28th approved a resolution to hold a national referendum on Aug. 29 to decide whether to resume EU accession negotiations. If voters back restarting talks, the government will notify the EU and formal negotiations could resume; any final accession agreement would face a separate referendum. Iceland applied to join the EU in 2009, suspended talks in 2013 and subsequently halted them, but the European Commission says the application has not been formally withdrawn.

2026-05-29

Iceland's parliament on the 28th approved a resolution to hold a national referendum on Aug. 29 to decide whether to resume EU accession negotiations. If voters back restarting talks, the government will notify the EU and formal negotiations could resume; any final accession agreement would face a separate referendum. Iceland applied to join the EU in 2009, suspended talks in 2013 and subsequently halted them, but the European Commission says the application has not been formally withdrawn.