(Jan. 4, 2021) On December 10, 2020, the Danish Parliament announced it will extend to February 28, 2021, its current working rules to limit the spread of COVID-19. These working rules follow a decision of November 3, 2020, to adopt new working rules to limit the spread of COVID-19 within the Parliament building.
The current rules provide that the Parliament will operate under limitations such as the following:
- No external guests will be allowed in committee hearings.
- Committee meetings, including open consultations, will be held as far as possible as video conferences. However, the committee chair, the responsible minister, and the consultant questioner (samrådsspørger) will be physically present.
- No more than four external participants may appear before committees.
- No public conferences will be held.
- No guided tours for visitors will be held.
- Members of Parliament and staffers may include no more than four external guests at meetings, and the guests must be necessary for the parliamentary work or other critical functions of the Parliament.
- External speakers at committee hearings and other participants must wear face masks or visors, except when seated.
- Media representatives lacking special privileged access are not allowed, but media representatives with press ID (pressekort) may interview members of Parliament in specified locations.
- Student interns (skoleerhvervspraktikanter) will not be allowed.
Parliamentary administrative staff, political party group staffers, and media representatives with privileged access (privilegeret adgang) are asked to work from home to the extent possible.