Iceland opens early voting for a referendum on resuming EU accession negotiations.

Iceland opened early voting on Monday for a referendum that will take place on August 29, in which citizens will decide whether the island should resume negotiations for EU membership, suspended since 2015.

According to a Gallup poll from June 29, 52% of respondents support resuming negotiations, while 48% oppose it. Iceland applied for membership in 2009, following the financial crisis, but negotiations were suspended in 2015. The main obstacle to resuming discussions will be related to fishing and agriculture, sectors essential to the Icelandic economy.

The Foreign Minister, Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir, stated that she will seek a favorable agreement in these areas. Iceland already benefits from access to the European single market through the European Economic Area and is a member of the Schengen area, but is not part of the European customs union.