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Danish political parties agree to hold referendum over EU justice policy

Xinhua, March 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

Denmark's major political parties agreed on Tuesday on a framework for the referendum over whether the country should adopt the European Union's (EU) justice and home affairs rules, Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt announced.

"Our starting point was to say yes to the acts that make it harder to be a criminal in Europe, and to the acts that make it safer and easier to be a citizen and company in Denmark," Thorning-Schmidt said at a press conference after the ruling government agreed to replace its current opt-out stance from the EU's justice rules with an opt-in.

If the Danes eventually vote in favour of the opt-in, the agreement secures continued Danish participation in the European police cooperation in Europol. However, Denmark will still remain outside of the EU asylum and immigration policy, according to the prime minister.

"It has been an ambition that we keep refugee and immigration policy for ourselves. And we have succeeded with this agreement, " liberal party leader Lars Loekke Rasmussen said.

In all, Denmark wants to join 22 out of 50 acts in the EU's jurisdiction, among which are the EU directives on human trafficking, cyber crime, sexual abuse of children, and counterfeiting.

Denmark opts out of many EU policies including joint defence, judiciary cooperation, European citizenship, and the adoption of the euro.

Danish political parties have agreed to hold the referendum before March 2016. Endit