Danish Parliament Questioning Bendtsen: Did Denmark Reject its Own Request?
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8 March 2005 -- The Danish Parliament is questioning the Minister of Economics, Bendt Bendtsen of the Konservative Party. At yesterday's Council meeting, Bendtsen was under obligation from the Parliament to ask for reopening of negotiations. It appears that Bendtsen asked for a B-Item and then again, as a member of the Council, Rejected this B-Item and asked to have the Council's zombie agreement of May 2005 adopted without a vote. Bendtsen's website celebrates the denial of Denmark's request as a "good day for programmers".
Latest News
2005-03-10 DK Politiken: Social Democrats saving Bendtsen
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2005-03-09 DK Anders Samuelsen MEP: Bendt Bendtsen shows contempt for Danish Parliament
2005-03-09 DK Bendtsen furious over Dutch accusation
Introduction
In the Council meeting 7 March 2005 Denmark was represented by Minister Bendt Bendtsen (Konservative).
In his explanations to the Parliament, Bendtsen said that he and his diplomats tried to reopen negotiations, but they failed to obtain a majority of 13 countries. However, no such minority is needed. One country would have been enough to take the item from the agenda, and it would have been the other side's job to secure a majority against the B-item request. Assuming that Denmark (and Poland, Portugal etc) really demanded a B-Item, there was no legal way for the presidency not to comply with it.
On the day of the Adoption Farce, Mr. Bendtsen's party Konservative praised the adoption of the directive by the Council in a press release, which Mr. Bendtsen's home page linked to.
A good day for software developers (press release from /Konservative/)
Danish media
All major Danish media have been covering the swpat issue. The three largest newspapers in Denmark are Politiken, Berlingske Tidene, and Jyllandsposten.
Politiken
2005-03-08 Dansk it-firma frygter EU's patenter
2005-03-07 EU's softwarepatenter vedtaget trods dansk modstand
2005-03-04 Danmark sætter softwarepatenter til ny debat i EU
2005-02-24 S dropper støtte til softwarepatenter
Berlingske Tidende
2005-03-09 Bendtsen furious over Dutch accusation (translated, original in Danish)
2005-03-08 EU arbejder videre med softwarepatent
2005-03-07 SF: Bendtsen kæmpede ikke nok for dansk softwaremandat
2005-03-07 EU's softwarepatent overlevede
2005-03-07 IT-verdens øjne hviler på Bendt
2005-03-05 EU-patent uventet stemt ned
2005-03-04 Regeringen tabte slagsml om EU-patenter
2005-02-23 S vil ikke længere støtte softwarepatenter
Jyllandsposten
2005-03-09 Bendtsen furious over Dutch accusation (translated, original in Danish)
2005-03-09 SF: Bendtsen kæmpede ikke nok for dansk softwaremandat
Dutch media
See Nlparl050308En
Other media
2005-03-08 Groklaw: Reactions in Denmark to EU Council Vote