Commissioner Hahn discusses regional policy in Iceland

Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy is in Iceland to dicuss Iceland‘s  regional issues and how EU Regional Policy could help Iceland in the future. Hahn is meeting with ministers and Iceland‘s Chief Negotiatior before he visits Egilsstadir and Husavik in Northeast-Iceland.

This morning, Hahn met with Ambassador Stefan Haukur Johannesson, Iceland‘s Chief Negotiator. They took status of the negotaions on Regional Policy, which have not begun. Ambassador Johannesson stressed the need to take into consideration the great distances, harsh weather conditons in and economy which is dependent on few producer goods and how this affected industrial development in Iceland.

Commisioner Hahn explained EU‘s Regional Policy, saying that Iceland could look to many regions around Europe from Finland to Sweden, Scotland and Denmark – using EU structural funds to build on their strengths. EU regional policy was helping these largely rural and often remote communities to tackle their particular challenges.

Commissioner Hahn also met with Gudbjartur Hannesson, Minister of Welfare, Steingrimur J. Sigfusson Minister of Industries and Innovation and Arni Thor Sigurdsson, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committe of the Parliament.