The Danish government caved in to the demands of the Danish People's Party, a populist and anti-immigration party that has been holding up approval of its 2020 economic plan.
"We have agreed on permanent border controls which we will implement as soon as possible," Finance Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen said on TV 2 News after the border deal had been struck with the Danish People's Party and the small Christian Democratic Party.
The new controls at all of Denmark's borders will be within the scope of the Schengen agreement, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
The Schengen treaty abolished border controls within Europe and currently consists of 25 nations. Denmark has signed the Schengen agreement, but has kept its freedom not to apply certain measures (see 'Background').
The political deal will mean investing in new border control facilities, more customs officials, extensive video surveillance of cars crossing Danish borders and rapid police assistance if customs officers need it, the statement said.
EU Commission critical
The European Union's executive - which enforces the Schengen treaty - said it would request further details from the Danish authorities in order to assess the controls.
"It should be clear that the [European] Commission cannot and will not accept any attempt to roll back the EU treaty, either for free movement of goods or persons at internal borders," spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen said in a statement.
EU interior ministers are meeting in Brussels for an extraordinary meeting today (12 May) to discuss Commission plans to reinstate border checks under "exceptional circumstances," such as when a member state fails to protect its own borders.
Presenting its proposals last week, the European Commission insisted border controls would have to be temporary and subject to "specific and clearly defined criteria" agreed at EU level.
The proposals followed heavy pressure from France, which re-erected its border with Italy, accusing Rome of failing to contain waves of North African immigrants fleeing the violence in the Arab world.
Danish pension reform
In Denmark, the border control plan has been criticised by some pro-European Union Danes who say Copenhagen should not be raising new barriers in Europe just months before it takes over the presidency of the EU at the beginning of 2012.
Denmark has a land border with Germany and is linked by bridge to Sweden in addition to its entry points at airports and sea ports.
The parties agreed to earmark up to 150 million Danish crowns (17.70 million pounds) for investments in new control equipment and data systems, as well as up to 35 million in 2011, rising to up to 119 million in 2015, for more customs officials and a strengthened police presence, the ministry said.
Frederiksen said he was convinced that the new controls would help curb crime and boost security in Denmark, but Danish People's Party leader Pia Kjaersgaard made clear there was no similar breakthrough on proposals for pension reform.
"We are still far from reaching the goal of agreeing on a retirement reform," Kjaersgaard said on TV 2 News.
The government's pension reform plan aims to scrap an early pension deal that now lets Danes retire at age 60 instead of 65 and to bring forward an increase in the general retirement age to 67. The government says early pensions are far too costly.
Kjaersgaard, whose party's support is crucial for the Liberal-Conservative minority coalition government, said the talks would continue.
"This is not over, we are still working on all of the issues which this entire pension reform and Denmark's economic situation has led to, and it is not the case that we are done for today, or tomorrow," she said.
(EurActiv with Reuters.)
