Island-Abstimmung: Wadephul: EU muss attraktiver werden
Der Außenminister betont nach dem isländischen Referendum: Die EU müsse darüber nachdenken, wie sie anziehender werden könne. Das Ziel der Norderweiterung sollte nicht aus dem Blick geraten.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed regret over the Island population's decision against discussions on their country's EU accession. "It would have been a great chance to strengthen together," said the CDU politician the morning before his departure to Tunisia. "For the European Union, this means we have to think about how we can become more attractive."
The majority of Island residents voted against reopening the discussions on their country's EU accession over the weekend. The referendum result was narrow, according to the tally. Thirteen years ago, the negotiations had been interrupted. The talks had faltered mainly due to the debate on fisheries, the largest and most defining economic sector of the island.
Wadephul emphasized that the EU's expansion target should not be lost sight of. "It is not automatic that everyone is striving for the European Union," he said. "And I think this is an occasion to look where we can become better, where we can work on our attractiveness. This, of course, applies particularly to the economic prospects we offer.
I still believe that we should not lose sight of the goal of an enlargement of the European Union that includes Iceland, which would then also include Norway." Wadephul travels to Tunisia and then Algeria at the beginning of the week to strengthen cooperation in the economic and security sectors amid global upheavals and instability.
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