'Clear no' in Danish vote on EU justice rules: PM

(COPENHAGEN) - Danes rejected in a referendum Thursday a government proposal to deepen the EU member's participation in the bloc's justice cooperation, Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.

"It is a clear no... I have full respect for the Danes' decision," he said at a press conference, after campaigning for the 'Yes' side which had advocated for international coordination in the fight against cross-border crime, including violent extremism.

The 'No' camp was led by the anti-EU, anti-immigration Danish People's Party (DPP) which believes dropping Denmark's justice opt-out would have given too much power to Brussels and risked leading to more immigration.

"It is my clear impression that it's not so much what we have voted about that the Danes have turned their backs on, but perhaps what we haven't voted on," Rasmussen said.

The result reflected "insecurity and uncertainty" over the consequences of a 'Yes' vote and "maybe also general EU scepticism and a host of other things, but not a 'No' to giving Danish police the sharpest tools in the battle against cross-border crime," he said.

Denmark does not fully participate in the EU's justice and home affairs policies after Danish voters -- wary of the "ever closer union" -- rejected the Maastricht Treaty in 1992.

Copenhagen was then granted opt-outs on several EU policy areas, including justice, and Danes said 'Yes' to Maastricht in 1993.