1974 Britonian referendum on joining the European Economic Community

The 1974 Britonian referendum on joining the European Economic Community (EEC), commonly referred to as the EEC referendum, took place on 7 April 1974 in the Republic of Britonia to ask the electorate whether the country should begin accession talks with the EEC. It was organised and facilitated through the European Community Referendum Act 1974 and was part of the 1972 Democratic Coalition agreement. The referendum resulted in 58.57% of the votes cast being in favour of beginning the talks. The referendum was legally binding, as stipulated in the Act, and required the government elected in the 1974 Britonian general election to begin accession talks with sincere intent to join the EEC as fast as possible.

The referendum was held alongside the 1974 election, and was the second referendum held in post-Seżer Britonia, being preceded by the constitutional referendum in April 1973, which provided the constitutional framework for a binding referendum and for holding the first multi-party general election since the 1930s.

The topic of Britonia's potential membership in the EEC had been one of the most divisive issues in the Democratic Coalition, with the majority of the Left Faction and the Big-tent Faction opposing membership, but the majority of the Centre and Right Factions supporting it (albeit reluctantly in the latter case). There were examples of faction members on the opposite sides, but they were a minority of their respective groups.

It was eventually agreed that the issue should be put to the public, and following the new electoral laws included in the 1973 constitution, campaign advertising was limited to the dissemination of leaflets detailing arguments for a particular side, political broadcasts on television (usually two per party/campaign per election/referendum), and hustings events/debates. All campaign ads, broadcasts and leaflets in Britonia must be vetted by the Electoral Commission, and in the event of severe electoral misconduct the Commission has the power to request the president calls fresh elections/referenda - this must be granted unless the president thinks the Commission has become partisan, in which case it must be taken to the Supreme Court.