Iceland's EU bid "not valid any more" - PM

Iceland's EU bid "not valid any more" - PM

"Participating in EU talks isn't really valid anymore. Both due to changes in the European Union and because it's not in line with the policies of the ruling government to accept everything that the last government was willing to accept. Because of that, we're back at square one," Gunnlaugsson told the magazine.

Iceland applied to join the European Union in 2009 and began formal negotiations the following year, but after a new center-right government was elected in 2013, decided to suspend accession talks and disband the negotiating team.

The country's foreign minister said at the time that the process was "suspended, but not ended."

The ruling coalition last February decided to withdraw the candidature without calling a referendum, and submitted a bill to parliament, that should approve the move.

That decision sparked protests in which thousands of Icelanders took part. According to polls carried out at the time, 72 percent wanted the issue to be resolved in a referendum.

However, the same survey showed that 47 percent were against membership in the EU, while 37 percent were in favor.