Brussels, 23/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - After his recent electoral success, giving him a third term at the head of the government, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen hopes to conduct an in-depth review of the European policy of his country. He announced on Thursday 22 November that he intended to hold a new referendum on the abolition of the four “opt-outs” which Denmark obtained in 1993, permitting the country to remain on the sidelines of four major Community policies: single currency (the euro), cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs (JHA), the defence policy and European citizenship. Denmark obtained these four derogations in 1993 further to the rejection of the Maastricht Treaty by referendum in June 1992. The “opt-outs” then allowed the government to hold a second referendum in May 1993, which led to the adoption of this treaty.
On Thursday, Mr Rasmussen did not specify whether he planned to hold a single vote on all of the opt-outs, or to arrange four separate consultations; nor did he give any indications as to when the referendum may be held. “The government feels that the 1993 exemptions, which date from another era and were adopted in another context, are outdated. This is why the electorate needs to have the opportunity of a referendum to take place”, the government declared in its programme. A recent survey indicates that a small majority of Danes is in favour of shelving the “opt-outs”. (H.B.)