BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain and European Union political leaders have agreed in principle to a text setting out their future relationship that can be endorsed by EU leaders at a summit, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Thursday.

Referring to a text discussed on Wednesday by British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU summit chair said in a statement: “The Commission president has informed me that it has been agreed at negotiators’ level and agreed in principle at political level, subject to the endorsement of the leaders.”

The text was shared with the 27 other governments of the European Union on Thursday morning. </s> Britain and European Union political leaders have agreed in principle to a text setting out their future relationship that can be endorsed by EU leaders at a summit, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Thursday.

Britain and European Union political leaders have agreed in principle to a text setting out their future relationship that can be endorsed by EU leaders at a summit, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Thursday.

Referring to a text discussed on Wednesday by British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU summit chair said in a statement:

"The Commission president has informed me that it has been agreed at negotiators' level and agreed in principle at political level, subject to the endorsement of the leaders."

The text was shared with the 27 other governments of the European Union on Thursday morning. </s> European Council President Donald Tusk said the European Union and Britain have agreed on a draft declaration on the future of their political relations after Brexit.

Referring to a text discussed on Wednesday by British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Tusk said in a tweet Thursday: "The Commission president has informed me that it has been agreed at negotiators' level and agreed in principle at political level, subject to the endorsement of the leaders."

Tusk, who chairs meetings of EU leaders, says he has sent the draft political declaration to the U.K.'s 27 European partners.

"The declaration establishes the parameters of an ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership across trade and economic cooperation" and other areas, according to a copy of the document seen by French Press Agency (AFP).

He says the draft declaration still requires "the endorsement of the leaders."

EU leaders are due to meet in Brussels on Sunday to rubber-stamp the declaration and a separate divorce deal.

May will make a statement on Brexit to parliament at 1430 GMT on Thursday, the opposition Labour Party said on Twitter. </s> Britain and European Union political leaders have agreed in principle to a text setting out their future relationship that can be endorsed by EU leaders at a summit, European Council President Donald Tusk said earlier. </s> SALZBURG, Austria (Reuters) - European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday he would call an extra Brexit summit of European Union leaders around mid-November to finalize a deal with Britain.

Tusk told a news conference before chairing a summit of all 28 EU leaders in the Austrian city of Salzburg later on Wednesday:

“The Brexit negotiations are entering their decisive phase. Various scenarios are still possible today but I’d like to stress that some of Prime Minister May’s proposals from Chequers indicated positive evolution in the UK’s approach.”

Tusk said that went for the UK’s readiness to work closely with the EU on security and foreign policy after Brexit but stressed that Chequers proposals from premier Theresa May for the future Irish border and economic cooperation between the EU and Britain “will need to reworked and further negotiated”.

“Today there is perhaps more hope but there is surely less and less time,” Tusk added. “Every day that is left we must use for talks. I’d like to finalize them still this autumn,” he said. He would propose that the EU leaders hold another extra summit on Brexit around mid-November. </s> The political declaration on the future relationship between the UK and EU has been "agreed at negotiators' level and agreed in principle at political level", European Council president Donald Tusk has said.

Mr Tusk said in a tweet: "I have just sent to EU27 a draft Political Declaration on the Future Relationship between EU and UK.

"The Commission President has informed me that it has been agreed at negotiators' level and agreed in principle at political level, subject to the endorsement of the Leaders."

The 26-page statement sets out the structure for the future EU-UK relationship and states that both sides will seek 'ambitious, broad' ties.

The announcement clears the way for a special Brexit summit to go ahead in Brussels on Sunday, when leaders of the 27 remaining EU states are expected to give their stamp of approval to the declaration alongside the 585-page withdrawal agreement setting out the terms of the UK's departure.

It follows a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday evening between the British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, and is the first indication that the pair reached political agreement in principle on the text.

Downing Street has repeatedly made clear that agreement is needed on the future framework - setting out aspirations in areas like trade and security co-operation and believed to run to a few dozen pages - in order to press ahead with the legally-binding withdrawal agreement.

Mrs May will be making a statement to the House of Commons later today </s> Image copyright EPA Image caption Theresa May met European Council president Donald Tusk last week in London

UK Prime Minister Theresa May is likely to trigger the formal process of leaving the European Union early next year, according to a top EU official.

European Council President Donald Tusk said Mrs May had told him the UK could be ready to begin talks by February.

The BBC's Tom Bateman says this is the clearest sign yet of when the two-year withdrawal process may start.

Mrs May's office said it would not be launched this year, but did not confirm Mr Tusk's account.

Formal negotiations over the withdrawal cannot begin until the UK triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the formal mechanism for leaving the union.

The timing of the process has so-far been clouded by uncertainty, with no clear signal from Mrs May's government on when it would begin.

There is also confusion over the nature of the the UK's future relationship with the bloc, especially whether it intends to remain a member of the single market.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that the European Union was in a "critical situation" as EU leaders met

Mr Tusk spoke from the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, where Europe's 27 other leaders are gathered for an informal summit without the UK.

Speaking about a meeting with the British PM in London last week, Mr Tusk said: "Prime Minister May was very open and honest with me.

"She declared that it's almost impossible to trigger Article 50 this year but it's quite likely that they will be ready maybe in January maybe in February next year."

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted that the UK could not get access to the single market without accepting the free movement of workers.

Mrs May has indicated that in any negotiations, her government would insist on placing curbs on EU citizens entering the UK.

'High-wire act'

Our correspondent says invoking Article 50 early next year may be ambitious, as the prime minister has made clear she she wants time to prepare the best deal for Britain.

During the Bratislava summit, the 27 remaining members states unveiled a six-month "road map" of measures designed to restore public confidence in the EU.

But rifts over the record influx of refugees and migrants were on display as soon as the meeting ended.

Matteo Renzi, the Italian prime minister, said: "I'm not satisfied with the conclusions on growth or on immigration.

"To define as a step forward today's document on migrants would require a form of fantasy, a verbal high-wire act." </s> Britain and the European Union have agreed in principle to a text setting out their future relationship that can be endorsed by EU leaders at a summit, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Thursday.

Britain and the European Union have agreed in principle to a text setting out their future relationship that can be endorsed by EU leaders at a summit, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Thursday.

Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, 2019 and diplomats are trying to finish a divorce deal and the accompanying outline of their future relationship so that EU leaders can rubber-stamp them at a summit on Sunday.

The pound rose nearly one percent to hit a day's high of $1.2894.

"The Commission president has informed me that it has been agreed at negotiators' level and agreed in principle at political level, subject to the endorsement of the leaders," Tusk said.

He said the text had been discussed on Wednesday by British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

According to the draft declaration agreed by the United Kingdom and the European Commission, the "parties envisage having a trading relationship on goods that is as close as possible, with a view to facilitating the ease of legitimate trade."

The draft declaration will now be screened by national envoys of the remaining 27 EU states meeting in Brussels on Thursday.

Both the EU and Britain "should aim to deliver a level of liberalisation in trade in services well beyond the parties’ WTO commitments," according to the draft declaration.

The transition period, which Britain and the EU hope will begin once Britain leaves the EU on March 29, can be extended "for up to one or two years," according to the draft declaration.

May will make a statement in the British parliament on the state of Brexit negotiations at 1430 GMT on Thursday, the opposition Labour Party said. </s> European Council President Donald Tusk says Britain's Brexit proposals on the Irish border need to be "reworked and further negotiated".

He was speaking ahead of a gathering of EU leaders in Austria, which'll be attended by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Mr Tusk said Brexit negotiations are entering their "decisive phase".

While he said "various scenarios" are still possible, there need to be changes to Britain's approach - particularly on the future of the Irish border and economic cooperation.

"Among other things, the readiness to cooperate closely in the area of security and foreign policy.

"On other issues, such as the Irish question, or the framework for economic cooperation, the UK's proposals will need to be reworked and further negotiated."

"Today there is perhaps more hope, but there is surely less and less time.

"Therefore, every day that is left, we must use for talks."

He's proposing to call an additional summit around mid-November to finalise a Brexit deal.
President of the European Council Donald Tusk says there is agreement "in principle" on a political deal that can be endorsed at an EU summit.