Country profile DNK
National Legal Framework
National Legal Framework
| Provision | Legislation date | Convention | Legislation info | sources | Value | sort_order | Provision description | Legislation description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities | 2021-05-30 | C138 | Executive Order on Youth Work - Appendix 7 | [{"link_name":"Executive Order on Youth Work","source_link":"https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2021/1049"}] | Yes | 3 | If the country chooses to allow light work, States must determine what activities are considered light work, and the hours and the circumstances under which they may be carried out. | Appendix 7 of the Text provides a detailed list of allowable light work activities, which include tasks in agriculture, horticulture, stables, and various other light duties like feeding animals, cleaning, and picking fruits and vegetables. These activities are essentially educational in character, their purpose is not commercial gain, and they are approved and supervised by the competent public authorities. |
| Minimum age for hazardous work | 2021-11-16 | C138 & C182 | Working Environment Act - Chapter 10 | [{"link_name":"Working Environment Act","source_link":"https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2021/2062"}] | 18 | 6 | C138 and C182 set 18 as the minimum age for hazardous work, which is defined as work that, due to its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to jeopardize children’s health, safety or morals. C138 and C182 allow countries to permit hazardous work exceptionally as from 16, provided that the health, safety and morals of the young persons concerned are fully protected and that they have received adequate specific instruction or training. | The minimum age for hazardous work in Denmark is regulated by the Danish Working Environment Act, under Chapter 10, according to which the minimum age for engaging in hazardous work is 18 years. |
| Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? | 2009-11-06 | C182 | Criminal Act -Section 262(a) | [{"link_name":"Criminal Act","source_link":"https://antislaverylaw.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Denmark-Criminal-Code.pdf"}] | Yes | 8 | C182 defines all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour as worst forms of child labour. | Section 262(a) of the Danish Criminal Act criminalises trafficking in persons, including the trafficking of children for sexual exploitation, forced labour, and other exploitative purposes. |
| List of hazardous activities prohibited for children | 2021-05-30 | C138 & C182 | Executive Order on Youth Work - Articles 8-15 | [{"link_name":"Executive Order on Youth Work","source_link":"https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2021/1049"}] | Yes | 7 | C138 and C182 require the national determination of a list of hazardous work prohibited for children under 18 years of age. The competent authorities should consult with workers' and employers' organizations to determine what types of employment or work are considered to be hazardous. Such a list shall be periodically examined and revised as necessary. | Chapter 3, Articles 8-15 of the Executive Order on Youth Work specify the types of work that are considered hazardous and thus prohibited for individuals under 18 years of age. |
| Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship | 2024-01-11 | C138 | Act on Vocational Training - Chapter 2 | [{"link_name":"Act on Vocational Training","source_link":"https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2024/40"}] | 15 | 5 | C138 does not apply to work done in school for general, vocational or technical education or in training institutions or work done by children at least 14 years of age in undertakings, where such work is carried out in accordance with conditions prescribed by the competent authority. Such work must be an integral part of: (i) a course of education or training for which a school or training institution is primarily responsible; (ii) a programme of training mainly or entirely in an undertaking, which programme has been approved by the competent authority; or (iii) a programme of guidance or orientation designed to facilitate the choice of an occupation or of a line of training. | According to Chapter 2 of the Act on Vocational Training, apprenticeship starts at the end of compulsory education when children are usually 15 years old. |
| Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? | 2021-10-01 | C138 | Public School Act - Article 34 | [{"link_name":"Public School Act","source_link":"https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2022/1396"}] | Yes | 4 | C138 requires that the minimum age for admission to work shall not be less than the age of completion of compulsory schooling and, in any case, shall not be less than 15 years. | In Denmark, the linkage between the age of completion of compulsory education and the minimum age for admission to work is clearly defined in the legislation. Article 34 of the Public School Act stipulates that the obligation to teach begins on 1 August in the calendar year in which the child turns 6 years old and ends on 31 July at the end of teaching at the 9th grade level when the child would be 15 years old. |
| Minimum age for light work | 2021-11-16 | C138 | Working Environment Act - Section 60.6 | [{"link_name":"Working Environment Act","source_link":"https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2021/2062"}] | 13 | 2 | C138 defines light work as work that does not interfere with children’s schooling, or their ability to benefit from it, and that is not hazardous. C138 allows countries to permit light work for children younger than the general minimum age. For countries that set the minimum age at 15, this means children aged 13-14, and for those that set it at 14, children aged 12-13 may engage in light work. | Section 60.6 indicates 13 years as the minimum age for light work: "The Minister for Employment may also lay down regulations that young persons who have reached the age of 13 years may undertake light duties within limited types of work, and under specific conditions and restrictions." |
| Minimum age for admission to work | 2021-11-16 | C138 | Working Environment Act - Chapter 10 | [{"link_name":"Working Environment Act","source_link":"https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2021/2062"}] | 15 | 1 | C138 establishes 15 as the minimum age for work in general. Developing countries have the option of setting a minimum age of 14 as a transitional measure as they strengthen their education systems and economies. | Chapter 10 of the Working Environment Act stipulates that young people who are under the age of 15, or who are covered by compulsory education, may not be employed at work. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? | 2009-11-06 | C182 | Criminal Act - Section 262(a) | [{"link_name":"Criminal Act","source_link":"https://antislaverylaw.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Denmark-Criminal-Code.pdf"}] | Yes | 11 | C182 prohibits the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. | The Danish Criminal Act prohibits the use, procuring, or offering of children for illicit activities, including through Section 262(a). |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? | 2009-11-06 | C182 | Criminal Act - Chapter 24 | [{"link_name":"Criminal Act","source_link":"https://antislaverylaw.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Denmark-Criminal-Code.pdf"}] | Yes | 10 | C182 prohibits the use of a child under the age of 18 for prostitution, regardless of the child's consent. The use, procuring or offering of any person under the age of 18 for commercial sexual exploitation constitutes a worst form of child labour, even if prostitution is a legalised. In regard to the prohibition of child pornography, States need to make sure that national legislation addresses the involvement of a child in the production of pornographic materials, including non-recorded performances. | The use, procuring, or offering of a child for the purposes of prostitution and the production of pornography is prohibited by the Danish Criminal Act, particularly under Chapter 24 of the Act that deals with sexual offences. |
| Is forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict prohibited? | No information | C182 | No information | [{"link_name":"No information","source_link":"No information"}] | No | 9 | C182 defines forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict as a worst form of child labour. Nevertheless, C182 only prohibits the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18, and does not cover the voluntary recruitment of children under 18. | No information |
International Legal Framework
International Legal Framework
| Ratification status | Convention | Convention description | Date of ratification | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in-force | C182 | Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) | 14-AUG-2000 | Source |
| in-force | C138 | Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) | 13-NOV-1997 | Source |
Policies and Plans
Policies and Plans
| Description | sources | Period | Policy name | Implementing agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| There is no specific plan on child labour in Denmark. The National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings focuses on prevention, victim identification, assistance, support, and prosecution of traffickers. The target group for help and services under the action plan are women, men, and children who are assessed to be victims of human trafficking. A new plan for 2022-2025 is expected to continue these efforts in line with international conventions and obligations. | [{"link_name":"National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings","source_link":"https://bsr-trm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Action-Plan-to-Combat-Trafficking-in-Human-Beings-2019-2021.pdf"}] | 2019-2021 | National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark |