Denmark took over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union from Poland on Sunday, announcing that it will act as a mediator between 17 eurozone member-states and the rest of EU member-states that are not in the eurozone so that they can successfully solve the biggest crisis in the EU history.
Denmark, which joined the EU together with Great Britain and Ireland in 1973, is the EU chair for the seventh time.
Denmark's role will be limited by the fact that it is not in the eurozone whose members do not like outsiders interfering in their own affairs.
I perfectly understand that the 17 eurozone members have a need to make their decisions on their own, Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt has said.
During her inauguration as the country's PM in the Danish parliament on 4 October, Thorning-Schmidt said that the first task of the Danish EU presidency would be to broker an agreement on a joint agreement to overcome the crisis. She then called for the strengthening of the base in the EU for responsible growth and employment.
The website of the Danish EU presidency carries Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt's welcome message in which she said: "Now more than ever, we need to work together in the EU. We must dare to make difficult decisions."
"We must, therefore, work towards a responsible Europe. The economic rules of play must be followed effectively so that confidence in the European economies returns. During the Danish Presidency, we will facilitate progress in the negotiations for a modern and responsible framework for the EU's budget for 2014-2020," she said and added: "We need new growth and jobs in Europe."
Danish Minister for European Affairs Nikolai Wammen said in late December that during its EU presidency Denmark would like to be a "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in the times of the biggest crisis in the EU history.
Danish Ambassador to the EU Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen said that his government would work on avoiding a wider gap between members and nonmembers of the eurozone.
The first priority of the Danish presidency will be to help solve the financial and economic crisis. The other priority is encouraging economic growth with respect to ecological standards. The presidency will, furthermore, set a proactive agenda to promote green and sustainable growth. The aim is to create growth without increased resource and energy consumption.
The Danish presidency will also work on agreement on a budget framework for 2014-2020.
Also external affairs are on the Danish presidency's agenda.
