Iceland 2012 progress report. Commission staff working document.

Abstract

This is the Commission’s third report to the Council and Parliament on progress made by Iceland since the opening of accession negotiations. This report: – briefly describes the relations between Iceland and the Union; – analyses the situation in Iceland in terms of the political criteria for membership; – analyses the situation in Iceland on the basis of the economic criteria for membership; – reviews Iceland’s capacity to take on the obligations of membership, that is, the acquisexpressed in the Treaties, the secondary legislation, and the policies of the Union. The period covered by this report is from October 2011 to September 2012. Progress is measured on the basis of decisions taken, legislation adopted and measures implemented. As a rule, legislation or measures that are under preparation or are awaiting parliamentary approval have not been taken into account. This approach ensures equal treatment across all reports and enables an objective assessment