On the invitation of the Prime Minister of Iceland, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, visited Iceland on 16-18 July 2025. The visit of President von der Leyen was arranged after the Prime Minister of Iceland, Kristrún Frostadóttir, met with President von der Leyen in Brussels in April. 

The visit centered around discussions on security and defence cooperation, trade, civil protection and emergency preparedness, and climate change. 

Clacial melting and climate change in Iceland

President von der Leyen visited the headquarters of the Icelandic Coast Guard in Reykjavík where she joined Prime Minister Frostadóttir on a helicopter tour to South Iceland, where the pair surveyed the impact of climate change on Icelandic glaciers and nature. 

Climate Change is the defining challenge of our time, and it is highly visible here in Iceland, where glaciers are losing billions of tonnes of ice each year, and we can definitely see the impact it has on Iceland's nature. [...] Our ambitions are aligned. This is why we have agreed to step up our cooperation on climate beyond 2030 and will work closely together to reach the Paris Agreement targets and the ambitions of future COPs - Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President. 

European Union, 2025

Grindavík and the on-going eruption on Reykjanes Peninsula

The team flew over the on-going volcanic eruption on Reykjanes Peninsula and to the nearby town of Grindavík to see, on foot, the construction of large defensive barriers around the town and other critical infrastructure. The visit to Grindavík focused on civilian resilience and protection as the town has been heavily impacted by the nearby volcanic activity. In Grindavík, the President and Prime Minister were joined by the Foreign Minister, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, and met with the towns Mayor, Fannar Jónasson, and a representative from the Icelandic Association of Search and Rescue, Otti Rafn Sigmarsson, as well as the Head of Icelandic Civil Protection and Emergency Committee, Runólfur Þórhallsson. Discussions focused on the numerous protective measures in and around the town of Grindavík and the potential for futher EU-Iceland cooperation in civil protection and emergency response. The eruption started on 16 July 2025 and is the 9th eruption in the area since November 2023. 

Iceland and the European Union have a strong partnership when it comes to civil protection. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism is ready to respond to Icelandic emergency requests, as it did in 2023 when the EUCPM dispatched a group of specialists to assist authorities in emergency planning ahead of the eruptions. Icelandic civil protection authorities also rely on important data provided by the European Union's Space Programme, notably the EU's Copernicus Programme.

I was deeply impressed by my visit to Grindavík where I could see how you manage the risk, how you live with it and how you adapt to it but also master it, and meeting the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue was also an eye opener, to see the capabilities they have. Congratulations on that. In Iceland, preparedness is not just a policy, it is a way of life. Europe has much to learn from Iceland in that respect. - Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

European Union, 2025

Keflavik Airbase

President von der Leyen visited Keflavik Airbase where she was introduced to Iceland's security structure and operations, including the NATO Control and Reporting Centre. Keflavik Airbase remains an important geostrategic security asset. At the airbase the President and the Prime Minister held a joint press conference and held a bilateral meeting including the Foreign Minister. 

Iceland plays a critical and strategic role in NATO's Arctic and North Atlantic posture. You are a strong and reliable Ally. [...] I am pleased that we are launching talks for negotiation on a Security and Defence Partnership Agreement. Like you I am sure we will be done in a few weeks or months. This will bring Iceland into Europe's Security and Defence network in the wider sense. - Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

European Union, 2025

European Union, 2025

The President's agenda in Iceland ended with a tour and a working dinner at Iceland's National Park, Þingvellir - the site of the ancient Icelandic Parliament and the site of the founding of the modern Icelandic republic.

European Union, 2025