Danish MPs demand new treaty

COPENHAGEN (AFP) - A majority of the Danish parliament said yesterday that the Maastricht treaty would have to be renegotiated and re-ratified by other countries to include important changes sought by Denmark.

Analysts said that this opinion, if adopted as official Danish policy, could seriously reduce the treaty's chances of survival. Maastricht has run into growing opposition since it was rejected by voters here in June. An EC legal official in Brussels ascribed the comments by the opposition Social Democrat, Socialist People's and Radical parties to nothing more than political manoeuvering, but said: 'It certainly does not make things any easier.'

The parties, which hold 94 of the 179 seats in parliament, also said a referendum on a new accord should not be held before September. Poul Schluter, Denmark's Prime Minister, who heads a minority conservative-liberal government, has suggested making additions to the treaty but has ruled out renegotiation of the text as opening up a Pandora's box of problems.