STOCKHOLM, May 31 (Xinhuanet) -- EU experts said Denmark can move from its old role as Europe's marginal sceptic to become the country that decided the union's fate, Ritzau news agency reportedon Tuesday.

    France's rejection of the European Union's constitutional treaty has appointed Denmark as a new deciding post for its fate, EU researchers in Brussels said.

    Giovanni Grevi, deputy director of the analyst department of the European Policy Centre, said EU's future depended on the Danes saying yes in their national referendum on September 27th, especially if the Dutch say no on Wednesday.

    "Denmark is a small country, which has traditionally been very sceptical, and the Danish vote is therefore very important," he said. "It could be an important turning point."

    Grevi said the nation could interpret the French rejection as an arrogant decision from a large country, and decide to vote for the treaty.

    Marco Incerti from the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)agreed.

    "The Danish referendum will be very important, because Denmark is traditionally a troublemaking country, which is known for its EU-scepticism," he said. "The opinion may be changing in Denmark, so if Danish voters approve of the constitution, it will place more pressure on France."

    Incerti said a Danish or a Dutch "yes" could lead to a situation where European leaders sowed doubt on France's role in Europe, which could prompt the French government to hold a new referendum before the ratification period ran out in 2006.

    "But on the other hand the 'no' in France is so big, that it might prove very difficult to call a new vote, not least because the voter turnout was high," he said.

    Recent opinion polls indicate that Danes intend to vote for thetreaty. Enditem