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Anders Samuelson, MEP for Radikale Venstre, has published statement on his website, accusing the Danish minister Bendtsen of contempt for the Danish Parliament, because he did not follow their orders according to what the Dutch Minister Brinkhorst has said in the Dutch Parliament.
Translation of the statement on Samuelson's website
Bendt Bendtsen Shows Contempt for Danish Parliament
Press release from Radikale Venstre, March 9, 2005, by MEP Anders Samuelsen
In the Dutch parliament it was yesterday revealed that Vice Prime Minister and Trade and Industry Minister Bendt Bendtsen did not live up to the mandate he received from the Danish Parliament's EU Committee. The EU Committee instructed Bendtsen to fight to have the issue of the new EU rules for software patents re-opened for discussion at the Council of Ministers meeting, but Bendtsen's Dutch colleague, Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst, doesn't think that Bendtsen insisted.
Anders Samuelsen, MEP for Radikale Venstre, says:
"Bendt Bendtsen has consistently claimed that he did his utmost to get the issue re-opened. He claims that there was no support for his request, but this is not correct, according to Dutch minister Brinkhorst.
In the Dutch parliament Brinkhorst stressed several times yesterday, that Bendt Bendtsen did not insist on having the item removed. If he had, Brinkhorst would have supported Denmark. Brinkhorst says that Bendtsen "left the church before the singing" - in other words, Bendtsen didn't finish his job"
Anders Samuelsen thinks that this should have consequences for Bendtsen:
"This is an outright scandal that should have consequences for the minister. Bendt Bendtsen's unwillingness to carry out his mission shows contempt for the Danish Parliament, and can have dire consequences for in particular smaller companies' possibility to develop software. If Dansk Folkeparti and the Social Democrats stand by their earlier declarations, the minister is heading directly for a vote of no confidence. If this doesn't lead to consequences, the Danish Parliament has resigned its own authority and its chances of gaining control over the minister."
