Councils suspected of helping farmers cheat EU
A total of 17 councils are under suspicion for concealing that some local farmers bend the rules in order to gain EU agricultural subsidies. To get subsidies, farmers must meet a number of requirements in areas like health, animal welfare and the environment. Farmers only risk losing their subsidies if they are reported for violating the rules. Although it has no direct control over how councils handle farms in their area, it is the state that will foot the potential fines, which could amount to millions of kroner. – Politiken
Ministers tardy submitting legislation
Despite considerable criticism from the head of parliament, ministers continue to break basic government regulations by submitting legislation without allowing enough time for response, hearings and proper consideration. Of 85 legislative proposals offered by the ministries since September, one in five had a response window of less than ten working days. That is considerably lower than the four weeks that is considered the minimum amount of time needed to consider new legislation. – Berlingske
Schools groom their elite students
An increasing number of schools send their top students to advanced courses after regular school hours because they are not being challenged enough by the regular curriculum. About 150 schools around the country send 720 students take a workshop one day a month for a two-year period. The workshops are taught by university professors and professionals from the private sector. The teachers' association supports the initiative but the students' association maintains that all students should be helped, not only those considered elite. – Jyllands-Posten
Bond billions to help big business
Danske Bank is looking to establish a bond market with the potential to generate 25 billion kroner for the nation's larger companies. Business lobby Dansk Industri and investors expressed satisfaction that the country’s largest bank will follow in Swedish and Norwegian footsteps by helping the top 200 businesses in the country by issuing the corporate bonds. While larger companies like Carlsberg and AP Moller-Maersk are set to profit handsomely, Danske Bank indicated that smaller companies will likely have to wait two to three years before being offered a similar bond deal. – Børsen
Weather
A mix of sun and flurries. Daytime highs -3 C. Temperatures falling to -10 C overnight. – DMI
