Denmark wants new EU constitution in place by 2009

(COPENHAGEN) - Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Tuesday called for a new EU constitution to be in place by 2009 but said it was unsure whether Denmark would hold a referendum on a new treaty.

"The Danish government's position is that a new constitution treaty should be agreed and in place before the 2009 European parliamentary elections," Rasmussen said during a weekly press conference, Danish news agency Ritzau reported.

He added that Denmark wanted a new treaty to be hammered out but said his government had not yet decided whether it would hold a referendum on a new draft constitution for the 27-member bloc.

"As long as we do not know what the final result of the negotiations on a new constitution result is, it is impossible to say whether or not a referendum will be necessary in Denmark," he said.

"We want a new treaty and we are of the opinion that the political compromises that we reached during the negotiations on the previous constitution are good," he said.

"They represented a good basis for a constitution but we have to respect the outcome of the referendums in France and the Netherlands; we must respect the 'no' votes in those two countries," he said.

Eighteen EU member states have so far ratified the constitution, while two have voted against it, France and the Netherlands.

Seven others, including Denmark, have yet to make up their mind on the issue. Danes were to have voted in a referendum on the new constitution in September 2005, but postponed it indefinitely after French and Dutch voters rejected the draft earlier that year.

"The 18 countries that have ratified the original constitution want it to become a reality, but on the other hand these member states, as well as the rest of us, have to accept the fact that two countries rejected it," Rasmussen said.

"So we have to expect changes in any new constitution, but I dare not say what these are going to be at this point in time," Rasmussen added.