Regions of Denmark

Regions of Denmark will be created under the Danish Municipal Reform of 2007, which will create five new administrative units to replace the country's traditional thirteen counties (amter). At the same time, smaller municipalities (kommuner) will be merged into larger units, cutting the number of municipalities from 271 to 98. The reform will be implemented on 1 January 2007. The most important area of responsibility for the new regions will be the national health service.

Related Topics:
Counties - Amter - Kommuner - 1 January - 2007

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The reform has been called the biggest reform in thirty years, and is an important policy issue for the current Liberal-Conservative Danish cabinet, most importantly for Lars Løkke Rasmussen, minister of the Interior and Health. The abolition of the counties has long been an important goal for both the Conservatives and the Danish People's Party. In June 2004, the Danish People's Party decided to back the reform, thus securing a majority in the Danish parliament, Folketinget, although the party had preferred just abolishing the counties without replacing them with a new third administrative level (the other two being the government and the municipalities).

Related Topics:
Liberal - Conservative - Danish cabinet - Lars Løkke Rasmussen - Danish People's Party

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The five regions will be named as follows:

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• Region Nordjylland, covering the current county of North Jutland combined with the northern part of Viborg County. The county seat was located in Aalborg, and this will continue as new region seat.
• Region Midtjylland, covering the current counties of Århus and Ringkjøbing combined with the southern part of Viborg County and the northern part of Vejle County. The region seat will be located in Viborg.
• Region Syddanmark, covering the current counties of Fyn, Ribe, and Sønderjylland, combined with the southern half of Vejle County. The region seat will be located in Vejle.
• Region Hovedstaden, covering the current counties of Copenhagen and Frederiksborg, combined with the municipalities of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg and the regional municipality of Bornholm. The region seat will be located in Hillerød.
• Region Sjælland, covering the current counties of Roskilde, Storstrøm, and Vestsjælland. The region seat will be located in Sorø.
 
Regions of Denmark: External links ►