There is a bit of controversy about it - encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com says:
Quote:
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In the event that 80% of EU member states have ratified the treaty after two years (i.e. by June 2006), while one or more member states have “encountered difficulties in proceeding with ratification”, the European Council has agreed to reconvene and consider the situation. This agreement does not specify what the Council may decide to do, but it remains the case that no treaty can enter into force without being ratified by all parties to it.
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http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionar...20for%20Europe
But I agree that it's opening the door for the 20-plus that ratify to proceed, while the others (Britain, probably Denmark and quite likely Poland) don't. Sweden isn't going to hold a referendum (only the Green Party and the Left Party are calling for one), so they will ratify regardless of what the population wants.
The majority of British people would probably be happy with EEA membership, because it brings a customs union and the right to live and work in other European countries. The other benefits EU membership has brought in terms of environmental and social policy are much less apparent to the public (although after expansion to the east, further progress in those areas is going to be limited anyway). But I can't imagine Tony Blair (who I think would probably resign) or even Gordon Brown being happy about leaving the EU. I don't think the constitution itself contains anything very worrying and bringing agriculture not only into qualified majority voting, but also partly under the control of the Parliament is a big improvement. Unfortunately, the environmentally disastrous fisheries and transport policies remain unreformed.
What is worrying is that the Council and Parliament together can amend the constitution in future. So we could be signing up to a superstate by stealth.
I doubt Labour would want us just to have EEA membership. More likely we'll stay in the EU, but with a weakened form of membership. I think the Danish public would be happy with that too. Poland would probably be lured back in with the promise of regional aid. The Swedish public will probably wish they could get a similar deal - after all they regret ever having joined.