ICELAND HOLDS REFERENDUM ON RESUMING EU ACCESSION TALKS

Icelanders voted on Saturday on whether to resume negotiations towards European Union membership, 13 years after talks were suspended. The ballot asked voters whether Iceland should restart accession negotiations with the EU. Voting took place from 09:00 to 22:00 GMT on Saturday, with results expected in the early hours of Sunday. According to the latest opinion poll, the No campaign held a one-point lead at 51.6%, though an earlier survey had put the Yes campaign ahead. More than one in five of Iceland's electorate, which numbers under 400,000, had already voted early.

The Icelandic government, led by Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, brought forward the referendum amid international turbulence. Although Iceland is a NATO member and already participates in the EU's single market and Schengen zone through the European Economic Area, formal EU membership would require entry into the customs union and eventual adoption of the euro. Iceland's application had advanced substantially before 2013, with 27 of 35 negotiation chapters begun and 11 provisionally completed, according to the EU. European Commission officials indicated that remaining talks could be concluded within one or two years.

A Yes vote would not constitute a final decision on membership, but rather backing for pursuing an accession agreement. Any deal would require approval by a second referendum, parliamentary ratification, constitutional amendment and sign-off from all 27 EU member states. The debate preceding Saturday's vote centred primarily on Iceland's fishing industry and national sovereignty rather than security concerns. Campaign groups supporting a Yes vote argued that Icelanders should see what terms could be negotiated before a final decision on membership.