Iceland is set to receive pre-accession funds from the European Union a month after the bloc's leaders accepted its request to start membership talks, dpa quoted the European Commission announcement today. The EU executive said an agreement signed on June 16 to let Iceland tap into the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), available to all EU-applicant countries, had officially entered into force. "This decision underlines our commitment to support Iceland's accession process. We encourage the country to do what it takes to ensure a successful accession," the EU's enlargement commissioner Stefan Fule said in a statement. The commission gave no figures on the sums available, but said the funds should serve "primarily" to help Iceland adapt to EU law, which it already applies in large parts by virtue of being a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and of the Schengen border-free area. -- SPA
