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Denmark - Official Denmark - ConstitutionDenmark [Main menu] - [Previous paragraph] - [Next paragraph] 1.9.1 The Government until 1849 Denmark in the EUTogether with Great Britain, Norway and Ireland, Denmark applied for membership of the EC in 1961 and 1967, but on each occasion de Gaulle vetoed British membership, and Denmark did not wish to enter the Community without Great Britain. Negotiations for admission were resumed after the summit meeting in the Hague in 1969, and from 1 January 1973 Denmark became a member together with Ireland and Great Britain. This was preceded by a binding referendum in which 63.3% voted in favour and 36.7% against membership. In the Council of Ministers, the decisions are normally passed by simple majority, but certain matters demand a qualified majority with weighted voting. Denmark has 3 votes out of 87. Of the Commission's 20 members, Denmark has 1 Commissioner, currently Poul Nielson with responsibility for development and humanitarian aid. The EU Parliament has 626 members, of whom 16 are Danes, and is elected for periods of 5 years. At the government conference in Nice in 1998, it was decided to change the number of votes each country has in the Council of Ministers in connection with the future expansion of the EU. Thus, from 2005 Denmark has 7 votes out of 237 and the number of Danish members of the EU Parliament will be reduced to 13. The first direct election was in 1979, and the numbers voting in European elections in Denmark have varied between 46% and 53% of the electorate. Since 1973 more areas of policy have been brought under the influence of the Community, and six new countries have been admitted (Greece, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Finland and Austria). Denmark has held several referenda on EU policy: In 1986 56.2% voted for and 43.8% against the Single European Act. In 1992 49.3% voted for and 50.7% against the Maastricht Treaty. In 1993 56.8% voted in favour and 43.2% against the Maastricht Treaty with the opt-outs agreed in Edinburgh. The opt-outs encompassed defence policy, the third phase of EMU and a common currency, union citizenship, the judicial field and finally stipulated that the objectives of the Union should not apply to these four areas. In 1998 55.1% voted for and 44.9% against the Amsterdam Treaty, and in 2000 53.1% voted against and 46.9% for Denmark’s joining the Single European Currency, the euro. Denmark's attitude to membership changed character in the mid- 1980s. In the first period EU policy was strongly influenced by the fact that the Social Democrats were divided on the issue, and for this reason special emphasis was placed on furthering economic and monetary co-operation. Since the 1986 referendum, which marked the culmination of domestic political disagreements, Denmark has been more active, for instance seeking to improve environmental policy in order to create greater openness in the EU and to encourage a broad intake of East European countries. There is, however, still widespread scepticism in the population as regards integration and the further renunciation of sovereignty. Since 1993 the four Danish opt-outs have been central in the Danish EU debate. However, in recent years, discussions concerning Denmark’s policy-making possibilities in the area of economy, safety and justice have increased the number of those in favour of removing the opt-outs. Mogens Rüdiger
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