Acknowledgements I am indebted to several people for their generous support and advice during the research and completion of this thesis. I would like to thank Dr Paul Taylor for his supervision and valuable comments throughout my research on Denmark and the European Community, and Professor Helen Wallace for having lit my interest in academic work and the process of European integration some years ago in Bruges and having enhanced it during my work for her at the Royal Institute of International Affairs as well as for her clear-sighted views and advice. My very warm thanks to Christian Thune, who, in his position as Director of the Danish Institute of Foreign Affairs, made it possible for me to spend two invaluable periods in Copenhagen to conduct the field research on which the thesis's empirical part is based. My sincere thanks also to academics, officials and politicians in Copenhagen, Arhus and Brussels who shared with me their insight into and knowledge of Denmark's EC policy and its relationship with European Union. My family, in particular my parents in Sweden and my husband Christoph, deserve my most sincere appreciation, because without their patient support this thesis would never have been undertaken, let alone finalized. A reluctant partner: the pattern of Denmark's involvement in the European Community Anna Michalski Thesis submitted for the degree of Ph.D., 1995 London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London) 1 UMI Number: U074614 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U074614 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ( f+£S£S F 7 Z0 103-A 76 2 & A reluctant partner: the pattern of Denmark's involvement in the European Community Denmark joined the European Community (EC) on 1 January 1973 together with the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its relationship with the EC has since then been uneasy, culminating with the popular vote against the Maastricht Treaty in June 1992 which threatened for a moment to halt the European integration process. Although Denmark's uneasy relationship with the Community has been noted by external observers, the reasons behind its reluctance towards European integration are not widely understood. The aim of this thesis is to explain the pattern of Denmark's involvement in the EC during three crucial periods in the evolution of the Community by analysing Denmark's adaptation to EC membership and response to the developments in the process of European integration. The thesis's theoretical framework combines the concept of acquis communautaire with the four basic elements of the theory of International Regimes - principles, norms, rules and decision-making procedures. These four basic elements are used to analyse Denmark's compliance with the rights and obligations of EC membership defined as the 'regime contract'. The concept of an integration dilemma serves to help to examine Denmark's attempts at balancing through a set of strategies, the external and internal pressures stemming from the process of integration. The empirical part of the thesis focuses on three episodes in Denmark's EC membership: the accession to the EC, the relaunch of the Community leading to the signing of the Single European Act and the negotiations and ratification of the Maastricht Treaty. The main conclusion of the thesis is that Denmark has been a reluctant partner in the European integration process mainly because of its difficulties to embrace the principles of the 'Community regime'. This reluctance towards the principles of European integration has conditioned Denmark's pattern of involvement in the EC and influenced its behaviour as a member of the EC. 2 Table of contents Acknowledgements Abstract p. 2 Chapter 1. Outline of the TTiesis p. 10 L Introduction p. 11 1. Key Areas of Concern p. 12 2. Framework of the Thesis p. 13 3. Assessment p. 16 IL Methodology p. 17 Chapter 2. Theoretical Framework p. 20 L Introduction p. 21 n. The Theoiy of International Regimes p. 22 1. Criticism and Definition p. 22 (1.1. The Background to the Theory of International Regimes, 1.2. Criticism of the Theory of International Regimes, 1.3. The Definition of International Regimes) 2. The European Community and International Regimes p. 25 (2.1. The Role of Institutions in International Regimes, 2.2. The EC and the Theory of International Regimes) m . The Concept ofAcquis Communautaire: A Survey of the Literature p. 28 1. The Concept ofAcquis Communautaire p. 28 3 2. The Judicial Definition p. 29 (2.1. The Rulings of the ECJ, 2.2. Introduction as a Treaty Provision, 2.3. Acquis Communautaire and Enlargement of the EC) 3. The Political Definition p. 33 (3.1. A Wider Concept, 3.2. An Inflexible Concept, 3.3. Acquis Communautaire and Enlargement of the EC, 3.4. Extending the Acquis Communautaire Outside the EC) 4. An Assessment of Acquis Communautaire p. 38 IV. Acquis Communautaire and the Theory of International Regimes p. 40 1. Four Basic Elements p. 40 (1.1. Principles, 1.2. Norms, 1.3. Rules, 1.4. Decision-making Procedures) 2. Dynamics. Development and Adaptation p. 45 (2.1. The Dynamic Character of the Community Regime, 2.2. Member States' Motivations, 2.3. Individual Member States and the Community Regime, 2.4. Strategies of Adaptation) Chapter 3. Denmark and the Enlargement of the European Community 1961-1973 p. 59 I. Introduction: In Search of a European Market Solution p. 60 II. Denmark's Route to EC Membership p. 62 1. European Deceptions and the Search for a Nordic Alternative p. 62 (1.1. The First Application and Negotiations with the EC, 1961-62, 1.2. The Second Application, 1966-67, 1.3. The Nordek Negotiations) 2. Accession Negotiations, 1970-71 p. 71 3. The Debate on Danish Membership of the EC p. 78 (3.1. The Political Parties, 3.2. The Social Partners, 3.3. The Popular Movements) 4. The Referendum on EC Membership, 2 October 1972 p. 92 4 HI. Political Implications and Administrative Adaptation p. 100 1. A Political Landslide p. 100 2. The Parliamentary Control System p. 102 3. The Administrative Adaptation p. 104 IV. Conclusion p. 108 Chapter 4. Denmark and the Single European Act 1983-1986 p.l 14 I. Introduction p.l 15 1. The Social Democratic Party's Dilemma p.l 15 (1.1. Destabilizing Factors after Accession, 1.2. Events during the First Years of EC Membership) II. The Relaunch of European Integration p. 120 1. The Solemn Declaration on European Union, 1983 p. 120 2. The First Steps towards Reform of the EC Treaties p. 122 (2.1. The French Presidency, 2.2. The Folketing's Resolution of May 1984, 2.3. The Fontainebleau European Council, July 1984) 3. The Work of the Dooge Committee, 1984-85 p. 127 4. The European Council in Milan p. 130 (4.1. The Danish Government's Assessment of the Situation, 4.2. Bilateral Consultation, 4.3. The Folketing's Debate in May 1985, 4.4. The 'Coup' in Milan) HI. Denmark and the IGC p. 137 1. Intergovernmental Negotiations p. 137 (1.1. The Dilemma of the Moderate Opposition, 1.2. Preparations for the IGC, 1.3. A Danish Initiative, 1.4. The Work of the IGC, 1.5. Government and Opposition I) 5 2. The European Council in Luxembourg p. 148 (2.1. The Folketing's Reaction in December 1985, 2.2. The Conclusion of the IGC Negotiations, 2.3. Government and Opposition II) 3. The Referendum on the SEA p. 154 (3.1. The Debates in the Folketing, 3.2. Fulfilling the Remaining Conditions of the Referendum, 3.3. The Referendum Campaign, 3.4. The Result) IV. Conclusion p. 161 Chapter 5. Denmark and European Union 1990-1993 p. 172 Part 1. Denmark and the Intergovernmental Negotiations p. 173 L Introduction: The Social Democratic Party p. 173 (1.1. Internal Challenges, 1.2. External Challenges) n. Negotiating for a new European Structure p. 176 1. The IGCs and Denmark p. 176 (1.1. The Background to EMU, 1.2. The Folketing and the Prospects of EMU, 1.3. The Background to PU, 1.4. The Folketing and the Prospects of PU, 1.5. The Danish Memorandum, October 1990, 1.6. The Intergovernmental Negotiations on EMU, 1.6.1. Danish Positions on EMU, 1.6.2. The Folketing's Reactions to the Progress on EMU, 1.7. The Intergovernmental Negotiations on PU, 1.8. Danish Positions on PU, 1.9. The Danish Debate during the Intergovernmental Negotiations, 1.10. The European Council in Maastricht in December 1991) 2. The Referendum on the Maastricht Treaty on 2 June 1991 p.202 (2.1. The Constitutional Requirement, 2.2. The Social Democratic Party's Leadership Contest, 2.3. The Referendum Campaign, 2.4. The Political Parties, 2.5. The Social Partners, 2.6. Other Actors, 2.7. The Outcome of the Referendum on 2 June 1992) 6 Part 2. The Route Towards the Edinburgh Agreement p.215 III. Finding a Solution to the "Danish Problem' p.215 1. After 2 June 1992.... p.215 (1.1. The National Compromise, 1.2.