Proposed changes to the way the eurozone governs its fiscal policy do not require a referendum in Britain, which is in the EU but does not use the single currency, the government said on Monday. European leaders are under pressure this week to deliver a lasting solution to the eurozone debt crisis, with proposals to create a closer fiscal union based on tougher economic policy rules at the heart of discussions ahead of a summit on Friday.
Under British law, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government is required to hold a referendum on any European Union changes that result in a big switch of power from London to Brussels. "No one is proposing a significant transfer of power from the UK to the EU. No one has put that on the table and I don't think it's likely to be on the table," Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman told reporters.