Brussels, 22/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday the president of the European Affairs Committee at the Folketing (Danish parliament), Elisabeth Arnold, informed the Constitutional Affairs Committee at the European Parliament what was happening in her country with regard to the “period of reflection” on the future of Europe. After six European referendums since joining the EEC in 1973, Denmark has had a long and rich experience in public debates. Ms Arnold stressed that “Denmark is a country where public debate is taken very seriously”. Initially, the Danish government had planned to organise a referendum on the draft European Constitution on 27 September 2005 but cancelled it following the European Council of June's decision to decree a period of reflection in response to the French and Dutch “no” votes. Nonetheless, Ms Arnold declared that the political parties were still motivated and everyone had “a real political will to encourage the European debate” and make the reflection period as substantial as possible. Arnold asserted that the affair involving the cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed added a new dimension to this debate, “as more than anything previously, it demonstrates to Danes to what point the world has been globalised and that the Danes, without Europe are very small and very alone”. In practice, the European Affairs Committee at the Folketing, and not the government, is in charge of coordinating and structuring the debate on the future of Europe in Denmark. It is also this parliamentary committee which manages the allocation of loans to the different movements that want to take part in the debate by organising activities on the ground. In total, 2.3 million euros have been planned to this effect, which German Social Democrat Jo Leinen, president of the EP Constitutional Affairs Committee described as “ a considerable sum compared to the 6 million euros for Commissioner Wallström's budget” to support activities in the whole of the EU. Leinen criticised the “minimum commitment of the Commission to support this debate”. Targeting the debate in Denmark, the committee chaired by Ms Arnold defined five main issue that are extremely similar to the issues identified in the Duff/Voggenhuber report at the EP: What is the main cross-border issue for which Europe ought to prioritise a solution? - What area of cooperation in the EU is the most important and how can it be resolved? - How can the debate on the future of Europe and possibly a new Treaty be organised and its substance and legitimacy guaranteed? - How can citizen participation in the EU be enhanced? - Where are Europe's borders? Ms Arnold noted that their parliamentary committee would draft an activity report which prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen would present to the European Council next June. Jo Leinen welcomed the “very active” way Denmark had tackled the reflection phase “while a lot of Member States had not even started it”. Leinen said that perhaps Denmark could be considered as an example.