Iceland

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Iceland

Constitution Constitution Institutions President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson Alþing Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde (Independ.) Cabinet Supreme Court Ombudsman Political parties Politicians Elections 2004 Presidential 2006 Municipal 2007 Parliamentary Divisions Counties (sýslur) Municipalities (sveitarfélög) Foreign Affairs Foreign relations Iceland and the European Union Cod War Agreed Minute Missions of Iceland Mission in Iceland

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Iceland maintains diplomatic and commercial relations with practically all nations, but its ties with Norway and other Nordic states, Germany, with the US, and with the other NATO nations are particularly close. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Politics of Iceland takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Iceland The Constitution of Iceland is the supreme law of Iceland. The current constitution was first instituted on June 17 1944; since then it has been amended The President of Iceland (forseti Íslands is Iceland 's elected Head of state. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson ( (born 14 May 1943) is the fifth and current President of Iceland. The Alþingi, Anglicized variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national Parliament —literally “(the all- thing ”—of The Prime Minister of Iceland (Forsætisráðherra Íslands is Iceland 's Head of government. The Independence Party ( Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) is a Right-wing Political party in Iceland. The Cabinet of Iceland ( Icelandic: Stjórnarráð Íslands) is the chief executive body of the Republic of Iceland. The Supreme Court of Iceland ( Hæstiréttur Íslands) holds the highest judicial power in Iceland Umboðsmaður Alþingis is appointed by the Alþingi to oversee investigation of complaints against government departments and local governments Political parties in Iceland lists political parties in Iceland. Elections in Iceland gives information on Election and election results in Iceland. A presidential election was held in Iceland on Saturday 26 June 2004. The 2007 Icelandic general elections were held on 12 May, 2007. |||} Iceland is traditionally divided into 23 counties, sýslur, and 25 independent towns kaupstaðir. |||} The municipalities of Iceland are local administrative areas that provide a number of services to their inhabitants such as Kindergartens The relationship between Iceland and the European Union is currently defined through Iceland 's membership of the European Economic Area, which allows the country access The Cod Wars, also called the Iceland Cod Wars ( Icelandic: Þorskastríðin, "the cod wars" or Landhelgisstríðin, "the The Agreed Minute was a statute governing the nature of the U Iceland has a very small network of diplomatic missions However it has a Consulate General in Winnipeg, serving the large number of Manitobans with Icelandic heritage This page lists embassies posted in Iceland. There are currently 13 embassies in Reykjavík. Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The North Atlantic Treaty Icelanders remain especially proud of the role Iceland played in hosting the historic 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Reykjavík, which set the stage for the end of the Cold War. The Reykjavik Summit was a summit meeting between US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev, held in the famous house of Höfði For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the

Iceland's principal historical international disputes involved disagreements over fishing rights. Conflict with Britain led to the so-called Cod Wars in 1952-1956 because of extension of Fishing zone from 3 to 4 nautical miles (6 to 7 km), 1958-1961 because of extending the fishing zone to 12 nautical miles (22 km) in 1972-1973 because of extension to 50 nautical miles and in 1975 to 1976 because of extension to 200 nautical miles (370 km). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Cod Wars, also called the Iceland Cod Wars ( Icelandic: Þorskastríðin, "the cod wars" or Landhelgisstríðin, "the Disagreements with Norway and Russia over fishing rights in the Barents Sea were successfully resolved in 2000. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Barents Sea (Barentshavet Баренцево море is a part of the Arctic Ocean located north of Norway and Russia. Certain environmentalists are concerned that Iceland left the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in June 1992 in protest of an IWC decision to refuse to lift the ban on whaling, after the IWC Scientific Committee had determined that the taking of certain species could safely be resumed. Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. The International Whaling Commission ( IWC) is an international body set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW, which That year, Iceland established its own commission—which the US does not recognize—along with Norway, Greenland, and the Faroes for the conservation, management, and study of marine mammals. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Since then, Iceland has resumed whaling for scientific purpose and has rejoined the IWC, which it did in October 2002.

The Icelandic Fisheries Ministry issued a permit to hunt 39 whales for commercial purposes on 17 October 2006^[1]. 25 nations delivered a formal diplomatic protest (called a "demarche") to the Icelandic government on 1 November concerning resumed commercial whaling. A démarche is a formal diplomatic representation of one Government ’s official position views or wishes on a given subject to an appropriate official in another The protest was led by the UK and signed by nations including the US, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Finland and Sweden^[2]. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation.

Iceland prides itself on being the first country to recognize the regained independence of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from USSR in 1990-1991. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Similarly, it was the first country to recognize Montenegro's independence from its former union with Serbia[[1]]. Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Iceland also is the greatest Nordic contributor per capita to NATO-led troops in Bosnia and Kosovo, to police in Bosnia, and to Bosnia/Kosovo reconstruction, resettlement, and relief. Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan

Through the various international organizations in which it participates, Iceland has also increased its involvement in Third World affairs, focusing on development assistance and trade. Third World is a name given to nations that are generally considered to be underdeveloped economically

Contents 1 Membership in international organizations 2 International disputes 3 Iceland and the European Union 4 Agreed Minute 5 See also 6 External links 7 References

Membership in international organizations

Iceland is a member of the following organizations: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; Western European Union (associate member); International Criminal Court; International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; International Development Association; International Finance Corporation; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; European Economic Area; European Free Trade Area; Council of Europe; International Criminal Police Organization; and the United Nations, since November 19th 1946, and most of its specialized agencies, including the International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, Food and Agricultural Organization, International Atomic Energy Agency, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Labour Organization, International Maritime Organization, International Telecommunication Union, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Universal Postal Union, World Health Organization, World Meteorological Organization and the International Whaling Commission. The North Atlantic Treaty The Western European Union ( WEU) is a partially dormant European defence and security organization established on the basis of the Treaty of Brussels of 1948 The International Criminal Court ( ICC or ICCt) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for Genocide, crimes against The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD is one of five institutions that comprise the World Bank Group. The International Development Association ( IDA) created on September 24, 1960, is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries The International Finance Corporation (IFC promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries as a way to reduce poverty and improve people's lives The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe The Council of Europe (Conseil de l'Europe is the oldest International organisation working towards European integration, being founded in 1949 The International Criminal Police Organization, better known by its telegraphic address Interpol is an organization facilitating international police cooperation The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic The International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its The International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO) an agency of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation The International Labour Organization The International Maritime Organization ( IMO) formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization ( IMCO) is a late 20th century United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 The Universal Postal Union ( UPU, French: Union postale universelle) is an International organization that coordinates postal policies among member The International Whaling Commission ( IWC) is an international body set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW, which The Icelandic government does currently finance two Programs of the United Nations University that are located in Iceland, The Geothermal Training Programme since 1979 and The Fisheries Training Programme since 1998.

International disputes

Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark on behalf of Faroe Islands, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)

Iceland and the European Union

Main article: Iceland and the European Union

Iceland is not a member state of the European Union (EU) and has never applied for membership. Rockall is a small uninhabited rocky Islet in the north Atlantic Ocean, and one of the sea areas named in the Shipping Forecast broadcast on BBC The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The relationship between Iceland and the European Union is currently defined through Iceland 's membership of the European Economic Area, which allows the country access The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Iceland is, however, a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), along with Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The European Free Trade Association ( EFTA) is a European Trade bloc which was established on 3 May 1960 as an alternative for European states who were either Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland In 1992 Iceland and its EFTA partners (except for Switzerland, which rejected the agreement in a referendum) signed the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement with the European Union, which was designed to allow the EFTA countries to participate in the European Single Market without having to join the EU. The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe The EFTA Secretariat in Brussels reported in 2005 that Iceland had adopted approximately 6. 5% of EU regulations as a result of signing the EEA agreement[2].

The outgoing coalition government of Iceland, consisting of the conservative Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) and the liberal Progressive Party (Framsóknarflokkurinn), was against joining the EU. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined The Independence Party ( Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) is a Right-wing Political party in Iceland. The Progressive Party ( Framsóknarflokkurinn) is an agrarian, liberal and centrist party in Iceland. The Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) is in favour of membership negotiations resulting in a deal which would then be submitted to a referendum. The Social Democratic Alliance ( Samfylkingin) is a Political party in Iceland. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita Following the 2007 election, the Independence Party and the Social Democratic Alliance entered coalition talks. The 2007 Icelandic general elections were held on 12 May, 2007.

The most contentious issue regarding possible EU membership for Iceland is the loss of control over natural resources, notably fishing grounds due to the Union's Common Fisheries Policy. Natural resources are naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified ( natural) form For the fishing industry and the practice of fishing see Fishing. The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP is the fisheries policy of the European Union. Opponents also point to the good performance of the Icelandic economy, high growth and low unemployment, as a sign that there is no pressing need to join the EU. The economy of Iceland is small but well-developed with a Gross domestic product estimated at US $ 12 Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. It is commonly argued that the membership of EEA already brings most of the potential benefits of an EU-membership without the costs. Then there are those who view the EEA membership as costly and the experience with the EEA as a negative one and therefore oppose EU-membership. Unwillingness to hand over a part of Iceland's sovereignty to a supranational organization is another source of opposition to EU membership, as in other European countries. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself

Proponents of EU membership largely rely on economic arguments: they view the euro as a solution to the dramatic exchange rate fluctuations of the króna, which have posed a challenge for many Icelandic export businesses. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e In Finance, the exchange rates (also known as the foreign-exchange rate, forex rate or FX rate) between two currencies specifies how The króna (plural krónur) ( sign: kr; code: ISK) is the Currency of Iceland. It is also pointed out that Iceland has Europe's highest grocery prices and completely opening the Icelandic market to EU products might result in lower prices. Foreign Minister Valgerður Sverrisdóttir has said in an interview with Iceland Radio that she seriously wishes to look into whether Iceland can join the euro without being a member of the 27-nation EU, according to Norwegian news NRK. Valgerður Sverrisdóttir (born March 23, 1950) is an Icelandic politician Valgerður believes it is difficult to maintain an independent currency in a small economy on the open European market.

Former Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson, seems to be also in favour of joining the EU, and predicted on 8 February 2006 that the country will join the EU by 2015. The Prime Minister of Iceland (Forsætisráðherra Íslands is Iceland 's Head of government. Halldór Ásgrímsson (ˈhaltour ˈauːskrimˌsɔn (born September 8, 1947) was Prime Minister of Iceland from 2004 to 2006 and leader of the Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. He added that the decisive factor will be the future and the size of the eurozone, especially whether Denmark, Sweden and the UK have joined the euro or not. [3] His prediction, however, did not receive much support in Iceland; instead, it received much criticism, not the least from people within his own government. [4]

Although new Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde has not made any specific announcements on the matter since taking office, a speech he made as Foreign Minister in an official visit to Sweden in February 2006 made his position clear. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. A minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a governmental cabinet minister who helps form the Foreign policy of a sovereign nation In response to Halldór Ásgrímsson’s earlier prediction Geir Haarde stated that, "I don't share that point of view. Our policy is not to join in the foreseeable future. We are not even exploring membership. " Further in a speech at a conference at the University of Iceland on 31 March 2006, Geir Haarde repeated what he had said on a number of occasions – that no special Icelandic interests demanded membership of the EU. The University of Iceland (Háskóli Íslands is an Icelandic State university, founded in 1911 Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. In the same speech he further explained in detail why it would not be in the interest of Iceland to adopt the euro. ^[3]

An opinion poll on the matter conducted in August 2005 (after the rejection of the proposed European Constitution in France and the Netherlands) showed that 43% of respondents were in favour of EU membership while 37% were against, 20% were undecided. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE commonly referred to as the European Constitution, was an unimplemented international Treaty intended When asked whether Iceland should start membership negotiations, 55% were in favour while 30% were against. 54% of respondents were against adopting the euro while 37% were in favour. [5] A poll produced on 18 February 2006 (after the prime minister's prediction) by the newspaper Fréttablaðið found 42% opposed to applying for EU membership while 34% were in favour. Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Fréttablaðið (English The Newspaper) is the Icelandic Newspaper with the largest circulation [6]. One in februari 2008 showed 55,1 % supportive and 44,9 % against. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[4]

Following a coalition government between the Independence Party and the pro-EU Alliance a special commission to weigh the pros and cons of European Union membership was set up. [7]

Agreed Minute

Main article: Agreed Minute

The Agreed Minute was a statute governing the nature of the U.S. military presence in Iceland. The Agreed Minute was a statute governing the nature of the U The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The Agreed Minute was last renegotiated in 2001. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. At the time, the U.S. Air Force committed itself to maintaining four to six interceptors at the Keflavík base, supported by a helicopter rescue squad. An interceptor aircraft (or simply interceptor) is a type of Fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy Aircraft, particularly United States Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF is a former NATO facility at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland. The Air Force, in order to cut costs, announced plans to remove the four remaining jets in 2003. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The removal was then delayed to address Icelandic demands for continued presence of the jets. After an unfruitful series of negotiations and two reshufflings of the Icelandic government the issue lay dormant until early 2006 when the U. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. S. Air Force issued an official statement that withdrawal of the aircraft was already being prepared. U. S. officials have since then argued that Iceland is in no need of a military presence.

See also

• Enlargement of the European Union
• Diplomatic missions of Iceland
• List of diplomatic missions in Iceland
• Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland

External links

• Icelandic Foreign Service Iceland's embassies and missions abroad
• European Commission > The EU's relations with Iceland
• (Icelandic) The Icelandic European Movement (favours Icelandic membership)
• (Icelandic) Heimssýn, the cross-political organisation of Icelandic eurosceptics
• An Icelandic eurosceptic blog (Hjörtur J. Guðmundsson)

• Iceland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Foreign representations in Iceland

• Canadian Embassy in Iceland
• United States Embassy in Reykjavik

References

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