Iceland's Prime Minister expected to withdraw EU application

© Flickr/ Trey Ratcliff

Iceland is expected to withdraw its application to become a member of the European Union, the reported Monday, citing the country's prime minister.

"Participating in EU talks isn't really valid anymore. Both due to changes in the European Union and because it's not in line with the policies of the ruling government to accept everything that the last government was willing to accept. Because of that, we're back at square one," Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson was cited as saying by the magazine.

Iceland's government is now set to make a second attempt at revoking the country's EU application. The country's ruling coalition first decided to submit a bill to stop EU accession early last year, sparking major protests in the capital, Reykjavik.

In an interview with the Icelandic newspaper on Monday, Birgir Armannsson, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Iceland's parliament, stated that "it is not unexpected that the prime minister is likely to present a new parliamentary resolution to revoke the membership application."

Iceland applied to join the European Union in 2009 and began formal negotiations the following year. After the 2013 elections, the country's new center-right government decided to end accession talks with the EU. Iceland is currently a member of the European Economic Area, the European Free Trade Association, and a part of the Schengen Area.