Tag: Danish EU presidency

Danish diplomats are prepared to consider “all options” to resolve the location of a European patent court before the June EU summit, but are losing confidence that the issue can be agreed before the end of their presidency.

The Energy Efficiency Directive is likely to become reality under the Danish EU Presidency, which ends on 1 July, according to a European Commission official who has drafted the bill. The announcement came amid warnings from green campaigners, who say the amended text is too weak.

The draft energy efficiency directive, initially billed as the most important energy savings law to date, is being held back by the "vested interests" of large energy companies with very close ties to member states, EU sources have said.

The European Commission and the Danish EU presidency said the Energy Efficiency Directive could "realistically" come together in the next couple of months, despite member states' consistent watering down of the proposal.

A well-functioning railway system is highly valuable to European citizens and economies. But the different signalling systems used in EU member states can hamper the process of integration, argues Danish Transport Minister Henrik Dam Kristensen.

It is essential to review certain regulations regarding aviation security rules and flight times in order to secure an efficient aviation, argues Henrik Dam Kristensen, Danish transport minister.

EU ministers are unlikely to agree draft rules to let countries decide themselves whether to grow or ban genetically modified (GM) crops, despite efforts by Denmark's EU presidency to reach a compromise.

Danish Environment Minister Ida Auken has an ambitious agenda for her country's EU presidency, including global leadership on sustainable development. The Socialist politician says she sees no conflict between environmental regulation and spurring economic growth in Europe.

As Denmark officially inaugurated its EU presidency today (12 January) with green jobs high on its priority list, Danish company Vestas, the world leader in the wind turbine industry, announced it would cut over 2,000 jobs by the end of the year.

Denmark has set aside only €35 million for its EU presidency, a fraction of what other countries have spent for their term of duty. Despite the low cost, the country promises an efficient and competent presidency, its European Affairs Minister Nicolai Wammen told journalists in Copenhagen yesterday (9 January).

Denmark’s environment and energy ministers vowed yesterday (19 December) to make sustainability and resource efficiency priorities during the country’s upcoming EU presidency, despite pressure across Europe to prioritise short-term crisis-fighting measures.

Denmark, which takes over the EU's rotating presidency on 1 January, is likely to use the European Commission's Energy Roadmap 2050 as a tool to push through an agreement on the stalled Energy Efficiency Directive. 

With a new government still to be sworn in, Danish diplomats in Brussels are hurrying preparations for Denmark's six-month turn at the EU's helm, due to start in January. But they are under no illusion regarding their ability to shape the agenda, realising that the eurozone debt crisis is likely to "overshadow" the presidency.

Danish political parties are satisfied with the Commission President's guarantees concerning Denmark's opt-outs in certain EU policy areas.

Danes remain dubious about the euro, and public support for a common EU defence policy is also declining, a new opinion poll reveals.

On 3 July, the Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen informed MEPs and business leaders about the priorities of the Danish Presidency

According to Mrs Sidse Aegidius, Head of Division at the Danish Ministry of science, technology and innovation, the Danish EU Presidency will focus on security in eEurope.

The Danish government has announced its intention to organise an informal EU summit in Brussels instead of in Denmark in the second half of 2002. Denmark will thus become the first Member State to implement the new provision of the Nice Treaty, which says that as from 2002, one European Council meeting per Presidency will be held in Brussels.

The Danish general election on 20 November was won by the Liberal Party (Venstre) of Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The shift to the centre-right ousted the Social-Democrats of Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen who had been in power for 9 years.

Council of Europe racism reports find causes for concern in Austria, Denmark and UK

With a bigger than expected majority, Denmark has rejected its government's proposal to join the European currency

With ten days to go before the Euro referendum, most recent polls indicate that Danish voters will say no to the EU currency.