Malta's may not remain smallest EU population

Malta's may no longer be the smallest population within the European Union as Iceland has announced it intends to apply for membership by this July.

Iceland has a population of 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 kilometres square. Population-wise it will be the smallest member of the EU followed by Malta and Cyprus, respectively with populations of about 400,000 and 800,000.

The new Icelandic government has decided to launch the process of applying for EU membership and will be taking the matter to Parliament in the coming days.

The issue will be addressed "within days of the inaugural session", said Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir, as soon as she took over the reins of government a few days ago.

"We are determined to submit an application for EU membership before July," he said.

In its general policy statement, the government announced that the question of EU membership would be referred to Parliament and that the membership decision would then be approved by a referendum.

The left-of-centre coalition last month scored a historic victory, obtaining its first ever majority in the House, with 34 of 63 seats. The snap election came after the government collapsed in January.

The EU issue nonetheless divides the coalition made up of Ms Sigurdardóttir's Social Democrats and the Left-Greens led by Eurosceptic Finance Minister Steingrímur Sigfússon.

The government has noted however that "the two parties recognise their different views on the question of EU membership but insist on their joint determination for the nation to decide, by referendum, whether Iceland will join the EU".

The Prime Minister expects to be able to rally a majority in Parliament in favour of opening accession negotiations with the EU. She is counting on the support of MPs from two other pro-European parties: the Citizens' Movement and the Progressive Party.

As a member of the European Economic Area, Iceland already applies more than two-thirds of EU legislation and its intentions have been positively received in Brussels.

Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said Iceland had run most of the "marathon" leading to membership and had only a few more metres to go.