Square peg problems: Danish EPA move could result in regulatory delays

Government program to spread jobs around the country has unforeseen consequences

The state’s plan for a more equitable distribution of governmental jobs throughout the country by relocating certain agencies is not without its problems.

The relocation of Miljøstyrelsen, the environmental protection agency (EPA), from Copenhagen to Odense next year could create delays in the agency’s work, as many of its currents experts and scientists are not making the jump. Just over half of the EPA’s 800 employees will be making the move to Odense.

An internal EPA risk assessment of the relocation published by Altinget warns the agency will lose experienced staff as a consequence of the move.

Brain drain
The EPA is in the process of recruiting new people, but there are concerns the complicated tasks they will be asked to perform have a difficult learning curve.

Biocides – defined under European law as any chemical substance or micro-organism intended to destroy, deter, render harmless, or exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism by chemical or biological means – will be one of the most affected areas.

Only a few of the EPA’s current toxicologists and ecotoxicologists are expected to head to Odense. It will take new recruits as many as two years to learn how to independently carry out biocide approval protocols, and as many as five years to become experts in the field.

EPA response
This lack of expertise will seriously hamper the EPA’s ability to meet its deadlines for evaluating EU authorisation. Even basic tasks like maintaining the agency website will suffer.

The EPA responded to the Altinget report by saying things were not as gloomy as  portrayed.

“We are not affected by the loss of expertise to the extent the paper describes,” said the deputy head, Mads Leth-Petersen.

READ MORE: Relocation of government jobs could be much more expensive than planned

However, Leth-Petersen did say that the reorganisation in Odense could take some time and that he “cannot rule out a period of longer processing times”.

Aside from Miljøstyrelsen, entire institutions being moved out of Copenhagen include the state gas company, Statsligt Gasselskab; the authority for patient complaints, Patientklagestyrelsen; and the Danish energy regulatory authority, Energitilsynet.




Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system