After submitting its membership application in July 2009 and having responded to a lengthy questionnaire on compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, Icelandic authorities were hoping to obtain candidate status at this week's European Council (10 and 11 December 2009) in Brussels.
It now appears that due to the delays connected with the selection of candidates for the two posts of High Representative and the president of the European Council, and the selection of the members of the new Commission, the choice will be postponed to the spring European Council to be held in March 2010.
"There are three obstacles. The first is that we have to wait for a new European Commission since the current executive cannot take any legally-binding decisions," a diplomat told Reuters.
"The second problem is that due to the delays in the Commission, its first draft opinion will not be published until 14 December, and the third reason is that Germany has not sorted out its constitution in relation to the EU's Lisbon reform treaty," he added.
The European Council can only confer candidate status following a recommendation from the EU executive. The cabinet will only have the authority to submit recommendations once they have been approved by the European Parliament.
Candidate commissioners still have to undergo the scrutiny of the elected chamber, which is due to take place between 11-19 January. The final vote is expected by 21 January.
Iceland hopes to assimilate its membership path to that of Croatia, which is expected to join the EU in 2012.
On Monday (7 December), Iceland's economy minister [Gylfi Magnússon] was quoted as saying that his country could be in the European Union within two years and a member of the 16-nation euro zone perhaps by 2014.
(EurActiv with Reuters.)
