David Cameron has said there will be no second vote on Britain's membership of the EU, as he revealed he will ask European leaders for a "clear, legally binding and irreversible commitment" that Britain will no longer be part of a push for "evercloserunion".

Speaking in a keynote address setting out his plans for the renegotiation of the UK's role in Europe, Cameron said the referendum on EU membership was "perhaps the biggest decision in our lifetime".

The Prime Minister said he wanted to establish “a British model of membership" for members of the EU who are not in the Euro, giving them a clear promise so that they do not become "ruletakers instead of rule-makers”.

Cameron said there would be "no second referendum" once Britain has voted. "This choice cannot be undone, if we vote to leave then we will leave," he said.

“This is our only chance to get this right, for Britain and for the whole European Union."

The prime minister hinted at a referendum date at the very end of 2017, but said he would not reveal exactly when a vote would be held until he had completed his renegotiations.

Setting out his reforms, Cameron said the UK was a "proud, independent nation” which made decisions "with its head, not its heart".

Denying that he had embarked on "mission impossible", the Prime Minister said he had learned "how much Britain can gain from its membership of theEU".

Cameron said:" I do not deny that seeking the agreement of 27 nations is a difficult task. But an impossible one? I do not believe it. “

"The EU has a record of solving intractable problems, it can solve this one too."

The Prime Minister said he had "come up with a carefully-crafted package" for Britain to get the most out of the EU.

The European Commission yesterday said Cameron's EU renegotiation demands on curbs

for migrant benefits are" highly problematic.

"We see a number of elements that seem to be feasible like finding ways to increase the role of national parliaments, some issues which are difficult like the relation between euro ins and outs," Commission spokesman Margaritis Sehinas said.

"And some things which are highly problematic as they touch upon fundamental freedoms of our internal market. Direct discrimination between EU citizens clearly falls in this category," he added.