The ECR Group said the decision of the Icelandic people to reject the reopening of accession negotiations with the European Union should prompt reflection in Brussels.

At a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty, many had expected the case for closer integration with the European Union to become more persuasive. Instead, Icelanders chose not even to reopen accession negotiations. In the opinion of ECR Group Co-Chairmen Nicola Procaccini (Italy) and Patryk Jaki (Poland), the result should not be dismissed lightly. It underlines the need for the European Union to address concerns about national sovereignty, democratic accountability and subsidiarity.

Commenting on the result, ECR Group Co-Chairman Nicola Procaccini said:

“The Icelandic people have made a sovereign and democratic choice, and that choice deserves to be fully respected.

“At a time when the international security environment has become far more uncertain than it was a decade ago, many expected support for reopening accession negotiations to grow. The fact that the Icelandic people nevertheless chose not to take even that first step should give Brussels pause.

“If a prosperous, democratic and outward-looking European country remains unconvinced that resuming EU membership talks might be the right path, the European Union should ask itself how it can better respect sovereignty and subsidiarity, become more effective and competitive, and focus more clearly on the areas where European cooperation adds genuine value. The European Union must reflect on this.”

ECR Group Co-Chairman Patryk Jaki said:

“Iceland’s decision must be respected, and Brussels should take its implications seriously.

“Throughout the campaign, questions of national sovereignty played an important role. Those concerns should not be dismissed or caricatured. If a people fears that decisions on matters of fundamental national importance could eventually be taken beyond its democratic control, and therefore decides not even to resume negotiations, the European Union must consider carefully what this says about its current direction.

“The European Union is strongest when it respects the identities, democratic choices and constitutional traditions of its nations. Public confidence cannot be built by asking countries to surrender responsibilities unnecessarily, but by demonstrating where European cooperation delivers clear added value and by ensuring that no Member State can be overwhelmed by others.”