Iceland voted against new accession negotiations with the European Union in a referendum, which led the EU to try to overcome this obstacle in its enlargement process. Senior European officials downplay the negative impact of this result, seeking to reassure the remaining candidate countries.
European affairs ministers meet in Dublin precisely to maintain the momentum of enlargement for candidate countries. This meeting comes at a time when the EU seeks to demonstrate that the Icelandic result does not compromise the future of the bloc's expansion process.
The Icelandic referendum represents a setback for Iceland's European aspirations, which had previously begun accession negotiations. However, European authorities want to convey the message that this result does not affect the overall continuity of the EU's enlargement process.
