Public discussion regularly addresses the advantages and disadvantages of membership in the European Union. Using Iceland as an example, this work analyses various forms of cooperation with the European Union, taking into account forms beyond membership in the EU, such as membership in the EEA, a customs union, a common free trade area, cooperation under WTO rules and other forms. The study is conducted in the form of a legal comparison. The academic results will be contrasted with the perceptions of the population, which are based on interviews with different social groups in Iceland. Christoph Kleineberg conducts research on European integration and economics at the European Centre for Advanced Studies.