Denemarken bereid om principe van één eurocommissaris per lidstaat los te laten (en)

The Danish Premier Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said his aim of having one representative from each country in the Commission is now unlikely to be realised.

Denmark, like other small countries had backed a commission make-up that would see each country represented in the Brussels executive, but has now said that support for such an agreement is wearing thin.

"We had preferred to see a model with one Commissioner per member country - and we are still going to work for this", he told Danish television.

"We have, however, to realise that there are not many left around the table working for this, simply because most countries are worried that the Commission will end up becoming too big".

He expects there to be 18 Commissioners in the future, according to TV2.

The Socialistic Left Party and the Junemovement criticised Mr Rasmussen's comments and said that Denmark had admitted a huge defeat.

Lykke Friis of the Confederation of Danish Industries (DI) said the loss of a national representative at the Commission makes it less likely that the Danes will accept the new Constitution in a future referendum.

However, Social Democrat opposition leader Mogens Lykketoft backed the Danish premier.

He said the size of the Commission was not of such importance that it should become a point of veto in the Constitution negotiations.

A reduction of the Commission size was going to happen anyway according to the existing treaties, he added.

With the current compromise in sight, the Commission would be reduced by 2014.

Danish Radio reported that only four countries - Denmark, Greece, Slovenia and Estonia - are still fighting to keep one Commissioner per member state.