Iceland review - 2012, Page 60

58 ICELAND REVIEW
It is always good to return to Iceland
after a long stay in germany. The
fresh and cool air is the first sign
that you’re home. The second sign is
the Icelandic customs officers. They
never fail to give me problems.
There they stand, sizing up everyone.
“you there,” they say, pointing at me. “Do
you have anything to declare?”
Then they notice the little pink bike I
bought for my four-year-old niece. “Well,
well, well… What do we have here? A bike!
Did you buy it in germany?”
I strive to keep cool and answer: “Erm…
I bought it in Iceland. I swear.”
The customs inspectors exchange skep-
tical looks. They’ve heard these words a
thousand times before. “Then tell me this,”
one of them presses. “Why does it say
Wunderkind on the side?”
I have no credible answer.
“Nice try, buddy,” they smirk, breaking
into evil laughter. “The tariff is ten percent
and vAT 25.5 percent. Have a nice day!”
I have to suck it up and pay.
I know they are only doing their jobs,
but I can’t help questioning the rules they
enforce. Why is there a tariff on bikes? No
one in Iceland is making bikes, so there is
no need to protect the business.
So, why?
The answer is: just because.
THe deBaTe
One of the reasons why Iceland should
join the European Union (EU) is the
elimination of customs tariffs, its support-
ers say. That way, imported goods, includ-
ing food, become a lot cheaper.
Icelandic farmers can’t compete with
cheap imports, those against the EU
respond. It would damage domestic agri-
culture, forcing a high number of farmers to
close down their farms. Do we want that?
Consumers say: “yes, please!” Farmers and
fishing vessel operators say: “No, thanks!”
Those two professions are the most promi-
nent groups advocating against joining the
EU in their writings in Icelandic newspa-
pers.
To tell the truth, the debate suffers from
ignorance. A ‘debate’ is not even a good
term for what is going on in the media.
It pretty much sums up to this: someone
pours his heart out over how miserable and
unfair the EU is. In response, someone else
raves about how wonderful the EU is. This
is repeated ad nauseam.
How iT STarTed
Few issues in Icelandic politics have been
as controversial as the country’s application
for accession to the EU. It was the big issue
in the 2009 parliamentary election. The
EU-friendly Social Democratic Alliance
won and forged the first pure left-wing
coalition government in Iceland’s history
together with the EU-unfriendly Left-
The Bumpy Road
To euRope
Photos By Páll StEfánSSon