(08 December 2017) – The European Commission has today recommended to the European Council 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 on 15 December 2017 to decide if sufficient progress has been made, allowing the negotiations to proceed to their second phase.
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.
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.
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.