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| Brexit talks to move on to trade after Theresa May secures Irish border deal – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| May has now moved on to her meeting with Donald Tusk, the president of the European council. The council now also needs to stamp its approval on the deal. We’re expecting to hear from Tusk at around 7.30am GMT. | |
| I’m now handing the blog over to my colleague Kevin Rawlinson, who’ll bring you the Tusk words, along with the rest of the day’s fallout. | |
| Thanks for starting early with us, and do stick around. | |
| The text of the agreement sets out what has been agreed on the three key issues of phase one of the talks: citizens’ rights, the Irish border and the divorce bill. | |
| Here’s what Theresa May had to say this morning on these, via Press Association: | |
| The prime minister said that the agreement would guarantee the rights of three million EU citizens in the UK “enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts”. | |
| She said that it included a financial settlement which was “fair to the British taxpayer” and a guarantee that there will be “no hard border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic, preserving the “constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom”. | |
| At the press conference, May gave little detail of how these positions had been arrived at. Here is the link where the nitty-gritty – along with a number of yet-to-be determined questions – can be found. | |
| Simon Coveney, Ireland’s deputy prime minister, and Helen McEntee, the minister for European affairs, will hold a press conference in response to today’s announcement at 8am, around an hour from now. | |
| Here is the link to the text of the agreement. | |
| And a key line on Northern Ireland: | |
| The United Kingdom also recalls its commitment to the avoidance of a hard border, including any physical infrastructure or related checks and controls. | |
| Here’s what the European commission says: | |
| If the European Council (Article 50) considers that sufficient progress has been made, the negotiators of the European Commission and of the United Kingdom Government will begin drafting a Withdrawal Agreement based on Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union on the basis of the Joint Report and the outcome of the negotiations on other withdrawal issues. | |
| In line with the Guidelines of 29 April 2017, and once the Member States agree with the Commission’s assessment, the Commission stands ready to begin work immediately on any possible transitional arrangements and to start exploratory discussions on the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom. | |
| In other words: phase two. | |
| May, questioned by a reporter, denies the text implies any kind of special status for Northern Ireland. | |
| She says they might need to look for special arrangements because of the “unique circumstances” of the island of Ireland. | |
| She says there won’t be a hard border but the deal will maintain the integrity of the internal market in the UK. | |
| Scouring the agreement text, the BBC’s Ross Hawkins notes this line on future arrangements to ensure a soft border in Ireland: “full alignment with those rules of the internal market and the customs union”. | |
| Joint report - key line on "full alignment" in absence of agreed solutions with internal market and customs union rules that protect Good Friday agreement pic.twitter.com/wf7jSpg49v | |
| May says she expects next week to win the endorsement of the 27 member states to proceed to phase two of the negotiations, following the recommendation of the commission today. | |
| May says she will write today “to the people of Northern Ireland to set out our approach”. | |
| Key new line on the 'constitutional and economic integrity of the UK - agreement delivers no border north-south or east-west for Ireland | |
| The deal will guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, and of UK citizens in the EU, May says. | |
| She says those living in the UK will have their rights enshrined in UK law and will be able to live their lives as they have done so far. | |
| There will be no hard border in Ireland, she adds. | |
| Theresa May is speaking now. | |
| She says today’s agreement is a “significant improvement” on Monday’s text and is in “the best interests of the whole of the UK”. | |
| I will always be sad about this development but now we must start looking to the future, Juncker adds. | |
| He says he and May agree on the need for a “deep and close partnership” and to work together on trade and security, among other issues. | |
| Today I am hopeful that we are now all moving towards the second phase of these challenging negotiations. | |
| Juncker says May “has been as good as her word” on the UK’s financial commitments, as set out in what he calls her “remarkable” Florence speech. | |
| He says the PM has also made it clear that she has made it a priority to protect peace in Northern Ireland. | |
| Juncker says EU has "brought back" certainty for EU citizens living in the UK. Rights to study, family reunification, healthcare, pensions. Cheap admin procedures. | |
| Juncker says: “We have now made the breakthrough we needed.” | |
| He says May has assured him that the new text has the backing of the UK government. | |
| He says the agreement is “of course a compromise”. | |
| Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker have emerged from their working breakfast to set out where they’re up to. | |
| Juncker confirms that the commission will now recommend that negotiations can go forward to phase two. | |
| Here is the statement from the commission that clears the way for the European council to agree that negotiations can now proceed to phase two: | Here is the statement from the commission that clears the way for the European council to agree that negotiations can now proceed to phase two: |
| The European Commission has today recommended to the European Council (Article 50) to conclude that sufficient progress has been made in the first phase of the Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom. It is now for the European Council (Article 50) on 15 December 2017 to decide if sufficient progress has been made, allowing the negotiations to proceed to their second phase. | The European Commission has today recommended to the European Council (Article 50) to conclude that sufficient progress has been made in the first phase of the Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom. It is now for the European Council (Article 50) on 15 December 2017 to decide if sufficient progress has been made, allowing the negotiations to proceed to their second phase. |
| The Commission’s assessment is based on a Joint Report agreed by the negotiators of the Commission and the United Kingdom Government, which was today endorsed by Prime Minister Theresa May during a meeting with President Jean-Claude Juncker. | The Commission’s assessment is based on a Joint Report agreed by the negotiators of the Commission and the United Kingdom Government, which was today endorsed by Prime Minister Theresa May during a meeting with President Jean-Claude Juncker. |
| The Commission is satisfied that sufficient progress has been achieved in each of the three priority areas of citizens’ rights, the dialogue on Ireland / Northern Ireland, and the financial settlement, as set out in the European Council Guidelines of 29 April 2017. The Commission’s negotiator has ensured that the life choices made by EU citizens living in the United Kingdom will be protected. The rights of EU citizens living in the United Kingdom and United Kingdom citizens in the EU27 will remain the same after the United Kingdom has left the EU. The Commission has also made sure that any administrative procedures will be cheap and simple for EU citizens in the United Kingdom. | The Commission is satisfied that sufficient progress has been achieved in each of the three priority areas of citizens’ rights, the dialogue on Ireland / Northern Ireland, and the financial settlement, as set out in the European Council Guidelines of 29 April 2017. The Commission’s negotiator has ensured that the life choices made by EU citizens living in the United Kingdom will be protected. The rights of EU citizens living in the United Kingdom and United Kingdom citizens in the EU27 will remain the same after the United Kingdom has left the EU. The Commission has also made sure that any administrative procedures will be cheap and simple for EU citizens in the United Kingdom. |
| As regards the financial settlement, the United Kingdom has agreed that commitments taken by the EU28 will be honoured by the EU28, including the United Kingdom. | As regards the financial settlement, the United Kingdom has agreed that commitments taken by the EU28 will be honoured by the EU28, including the United Kingdom. |
| With regard to the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom acknowledges the unique situation on the island of Ireland and has made significant commitments to avoid a hard border. | With regard to the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom acknowledges the unique situation on the island of Ireland and has made significant commitments to avoid a hard border. |