2014 Danish Unified Patent Court membership referendum

Results of the referendum by electoral district.

Election posters for the 2014 referendum

Denmark signed the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court on 19 February 2013 along with 24 of the (then) 27 Member States of the European Union eligible to join. The agreement shall enter into force for those countries that approved it after ratification of 13 states (which must include France, Germany and the United Kingdom) and an adaptation of the Brussels I regulation.

The Danish Ministry of Justice issued its opinion in May 2013 that a referendum or five-sixths majority in the Folketing was necessary for the government to ratify the agreement due to constitutional requirements on the transfer of sovereignty.[2][3] The Danish People's Party (DF) and the Red–Green Alliance, collectively controlling around one-fifth of the Folketing seats, stated their opinion that a referendum should be held.[2] The People's Party said they would support the UPC if the governing parties promised to either hold a referendum on the proposed EU Banking Union or increase restrictions on the distribution of welfare benefits to foreign nationals in Denmark.[4] Despite being implored to negotiate with the DF by the leader of the opposition Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the government opted to hold a referendum,[1] announcing in December 2013 that one would go ahead on 25 May 2014.[5]

The legal basis for the referendum was sections 20 and 42 of the Constitution of Denmark according to which a majority consisting of at least 30% of the electorate could reject the decision of the Folketing due to it involving transfer of sovereignty. In case this double majority criterion was not met, e.g. if 28% voted against the decision and 20% voted in favor (low voter turnout), the act as passed by the Folketing would still come into force, allowing the government to proceed with the ratification of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court.[6]

Danish Unified Patent Court membership referendum, 2014

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	1,386,881	62.47
No	833,023	37.53
Valid votes	2,219,904	96.36
Invalid or blank votes	83,879	3.64
Total votes	2,303,783	100.00
Registered voters and turnout	4,124,696	55.85
Source: Danmarks Statistik

The "no" votes equated to 20.2% of the electorate, less than the 30% threshold required (in conjunction with a plurality of voters voting "no") to reverse the decision of parliament to ratify.