Dutch Labour MPs reject EU vote

The Dutch unambiguously rejected the constitution in 2005

The Dutch Labour party has decided not to back a referendum on the EU's new Reform Treaty.

MPs from the party, which forms part of the governing coalition, agreed at an internal meeting to back Friday's cabinet decision against a referendum.

A faction within Labour had wanted a public vote on the Treaty, the successor to a planned EU constitution.

The Dutch rejected the constitution in a 2005 referendum and reports indicate they would reject the new treaty too.

The 2005 vote, coming weeks after the constitution was rejected in a French plebiscite, plunged the EU into crisis.

The new Reform Treaty was drawn up to incorporate elements from the doomed constitution and from two existing EU treaties.

'Clear result'

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, of the Christian Democrat party, wants to adopt the treaty. He argues it does not propose constitutional changes and therefore does not require a referendum.

There are rumours that after a decent interval we'll find out that some policies the Dutch Labour Party didn't like have been dropped BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell Mark Mardell's Euroblog Q&A: Dutch referendum

Two of the three parties in the Dutch governing coalition had opposed a referendum, but a third, Labour, had been split on the issue.

Although the Labour party was in favour of the Reform Treaty, a faction within it had argued that the views of the public must be taken into account before the document was adopted.

Differences within the party appeared to have been resolved after Tuesday's internal meeting.

"The result is totally clear. There will be no referendum," the AP news agency quoted party whip Jacques Tichelaar as saying.

Opposition MPs had hoped there would be enough support within the Labour party for a parliamentary vote on the referendum, which would have improved the chances for an eventual plebiscite.

The lower house of parliament is believed to have a majority that favours a referendum, while the upper house is against the idea.

The 2005 referendum, effectively scuppering the proposed constitution, was held at the initiative of parliament, rather than the government.

A Dutch decision in favour of holding a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty would have put fresh pressure on the British and Danish governments to do the same in their countries.

Both London and Copenhagen have been eager to avoid plebiscites on the new EU Reform Treaty.