Tweede referendum over Euro in Denemarken (en)
EUOBSERVER / COPENHAGEN - The recently re-elected Danish government has announced a referendum on scrapping the country's four EU opt-outs from 1993, including on the euro.
But there is no mention of a vote on the EU Reform Treaty in the new political working programme of the government published on Thursday (22 November).
"It is no secret that the government has been convinced all the time that the EU opt-outs are a hindrance for Denmark. We now say that the time has come to let people take a stand on it," Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at a press conference in Copenhagen.
The Danish liberal-conservative coalition lead by Mr Fogh Rasmussen was re-elected by a slim majority in general elections earlier this month.
"With the new treaty, Denmark will be left out of a major part of the co-operation. The government finds that time has outrun the opt-outs from 1993, which were made in another time and under special conditions," the political working plans for the new government read.
The four opt-outs were introduced after the Danish people voted no in a referendum on the Maastricht treaty. At a subsequent referendum, a majority voted yes.
One of the opt-outs is from the Economic and Monetary Union's third phase, which introduced the Euro. This means that future Danish rejection of the opt-outs will lead to the country joining the European monetary union.
Another opt-out is on justice and home affairs, where Denmark currently does not fully take part.
Mr Fogh Rasmussen revealed that the government may be interested in a model similar to what Britain and Ireland have in the justice and home affairs sector.
Under their set-up, the British and Irish decide on whether they wish to participate on a case-by-case basis.
"The treaty makes it possible for Denmark - after a referendum - to decide from case to case to fully participate in the cooperation on justice and home affairs," says the government's programme.
One of the first tasks for the newly-elected parliament is to ratify the Reform Treaty.
According to Danish daily Berlingske Tidende, sources close to the government suggested the referendum on the opt-outs could then take place next year or in 2009 at the latest.