Screening meeting on Competition policy concluded

The Screening meeting between Iceland and the European Union on Chapter 8 – Competition Policy - ended yesterday afternoon in Brussels. At the meeting, which lasted one day, experts from Iceland and the EU compared the legislation of the Competition law which covers both anti-trust and state aid control policies. The experts discussed Iceland's implementation of regulations which fall under Chapter 8, which is part of the EEA-Agreement. No legislative changes in the area of Chapter 8 are thus necessary if Iceland becomes a member state of the EU, as Iceland has already adopted EU competition policy. The only necessary change anticipated is that EU institutions would take over the role of the EFTA concerning competition matters. At the screening meeting, discussions took place about possible state aid following the collapse of the banking sector. The Icelandic Housing Financing Fund and the state's retail monopoly on tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, were also discussed at the meeting.

The Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs has published the timetable for the screening meetings, which are expected to be concluded in June 2011. Further information about the content of individual chapters and Iceland's negotiation committee is to be found at the Ministry's website on Iceland's accession talks, eu.mfa.is.