Iceland Drops

From the BBC:
"Iceland drops EU membership bid"

 

The government of Iceland has announced it is no longer seeking EU membership for the North Atlantic state. Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson said he had already informed current EU president Latvia and the European Commission about the cabinet's move.  Iceland gave no reason for dropping its bid to join the 28-member bloc.  But after winning the 2013 elections two Eurosceptic parties said the nation already enjoyed most full membership benefits through deals with the EU. The island nation has free trade arrangements with the bloc and is part of the Schengen visa-free travel zone. However, Mr Sveinsson stressed the importance of continued strong relations and co-operation between Iceland and the EU, saying Reykjavik wanted to strengthen the ties "even further". Iceland made an EU membership application in 2009 and later began accession talks.

 

^ There's an old saying "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free." Usually it refers to sex, but it also fits here. Why should Iceland jump through the countless hoops to join the EU when it is already part of the Schengen Area and highly integrated with other EU projects and departments? Apparently, the Icelanders don't feel they should. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31862988