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1st LD Writethru: Referendum date set for Denmark's opt-out on EU justice

Xinhua, August 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen on Friday announced the planned referendum on Denmark's opt-out on European Union justice and home affairs rules will be held on Dec. 3.

"I am pleased that the parties have confirmed the agreement we have with each other. It is crucial that we do not leave the Europol cooperation. However, it is important that we continue making our own decisions on asylum and immigration policies," Rasmussen told a press conference here on Friday.

Denmark's major political parties agreed in March that Danes will vote on replacing the nation's opt-out on the EU's justice and home affairs rules with an opt-in model before March 2016.

The opt-in agreement will result in Denmark joining 22 acts in the EU's jurisdiction, allowing Denmark to be part of the European police cooperation in Europol while maintaining sovereignty in asylum and immigration policies.

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

Opinion polls have shown that a majority of Danes are in favor of abolishing the justice and home affairs opt-out. Enditem