Copenhagen  - A majority of Danish voters oppose abolishing the country's opt-out on justice and home affairs from the European Union, according to a poll published Tuesday.

Denmark joined the bloc in 1973, but obtained opt-outs that include security and defence policy, justice and home affairs and the euro after voters initially rejected the Maastricht Treaty in a 1992 referendum.

A majority of voters - 39.4 per cent - opposed scrapping the opt- out on justice and home affairs while 30.1 per cent were in favour of dropping it, the survey by polling institute Catinet Research suggested.

The remaining 30.5 per cent of the 1,070 people surveyed were undecided according to the poll commissioned by Danish news agency Ritzau.

A recent ruling on freedom of movement by the European Court of Justice, based on a case from Ireland, appeared to be a factor in the shift in public sentiment.

The Luxembourg-based court, the EU's highest legal body, said EU members may not refuse entry or right of residence to non-EU spouses and family members, potentially undermining Denmark's strict immigration laws. These stipulate that a Dane may not bring a non-EU spouse into the country unless both partners are at least 24 years of age.

Last week, citing uncertainty in the wake of the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said a planned referendum on the opt-outs had been postponed indefinitely.

The Catinet poll conducted August 7 to 11 suggested that a slim majority in Rasmussen's Liberal party opposed abolishing the justice and home affairs opt-out.

The poll said a majority of Danes wanted to keep a tight immigration policy, regardless of the European Court of Justice ruling.

In all 51 per cent said it was "important" or "very important" to keep current policies while 20. per cent said it was "not so important" or "not important." (dpa)