From Iceland — Foreign Minister Wants To Close EU Committee

Foreign Minister Wants To Close EU Committee

Published August 22, 2013

Minister of Foreign Affairs Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson wants to close down the European Union negotiations committee, citing the current pause in accession talks.
Vísir reports that Gunnar made the announcement to the committee in a meeting last July. At the meeting’s conclusion, three committee members requested a legal opinion on the limits of executive power regarding the application to join the EU.
The legal opinion stated that while the government has every right to pause the talks, they cannot completely end them, unless a parliamentary majority agrees.
Gunnar, who hails from the Progressive Party, has been in the news lately in connection with the EU, in particular from remarks he made last week that he does not believe the question of whether or not to continue EU accession talks should be put to public referendum. This is in direct contradiction of the campaign promise of the Progressive’s partner in the ruling coalition, the Independence Party.

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