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The Danish European Communities membership referendum was held in Denmark on October 2, 1972, with 63.4 % of voters voting in favour of Danish membership of the European Communities, and 36.6 % voting against.[1]. Voter turnout was either 90.1 % or 90.4 % depending on source.[2][3] The law that Denmark should be member of the EEC was thus passed on October 11, 1972, and Denmark became a member on January 1, 1973.[1]
[edit] Background
According to section 20 of the Danish constitution, any law that makes limitations to the sovereignty of the Danish state (as membership of the EEC would) must be passed in the Danish parliament with 5/6 of the parliament's members voting for the law.[4] If a majority of members vote for the law, but not by 5/6 majority, and the government wishes to uphold the suggested law, the law can still be passed in a public referendum, as was the case in the 1972 referendum.[4]
