Imma Tor calls Iceland’s referendum result “excellent” for the EU Association Agreement
The foreign minister interprets the ‘no’ vote on resuming EU accession negotiations as a sign of satisfaction with Iceland’s current access to the European internal market
Andorra’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Imma Tor, has welcomed the result of Iceland’s referendum, in which voters rejected resuming negotiations on the country’s potential accession to the European Union.
Tor believes the Icelandic result could strengthen the arguments in favour of the Association Agreement between Andorra and the European Union, pointing to what she considers similarities between this model and Iceland’s current relationship with the European internal market.
“I believe this result is excellent for us, in any case for the Association Agreement,” the foreign minister said on Monday.
Tor argues that the vote against resuming accession negotiations should not be interpreted as Icelanders rejecting Europe, but rather as an indication that they are satisfied with the country’s current arrangement.
“It should be interpreted as meaning that Icelanders already feel very comfortable with the situation they currently have,” she said.
Tor compares Iceland’s model with Andorra’s Association Agreement
Iceland is part of the European Economic Area (EEA) alongside Norway and Liechtenstein, allowing it to participate in much of the EU’s internal market without being a member state.
Tor highlighted what she sees as similarities between this system and the Association Agreement negotiated by Andorra, particularly regarding access to the internal market and the application of the four European freedoms: people, goods, services and capital.
The minister also stressed that Iceland has experienced a period of prosperity in recent years under its current relationship with Europe.
However, Iceland’s continued participation in the European Economic Area was not the subject of the referendum. Voters were asked whether the country should resume negotiations with a view to potentially becoming a full member of the European Union.
“Let’s not say things that aren’t true”
The foreign minister also addressed the geographical differences reflected in the vote. According to Tor, support for resuming EU negotiations was higher in urban and service-oriented areas, while opposition was stronger in rural regions, particularly those linked to agriculture and fishing.
Based on these results, Tor insists that Iceland’s ‘no’ vote should not be interpreted as a broader rejection of the European project, but rather as a decision on whether the country should move towards full EU membership.
“Let’s not say things that aren’t true,” Tor concluded.
The Andorran government’s interpretation comes amid an ongoing debate over the future of the Association Agreement with the EU, a model that differs both from full European Union membership and from Iceland’s participation in the European Economic Area.