I am very pleased that the chief negotiators of the European Union and the UK have reached initial agreement in the Brexit negotiations. It is a great relief! After months of uncertainty, we now finally have a clear signal from the UK as to how it could proceed with an orderly Brexit. Yet much remains to be done. Further steps and further work will be needed on both sides.

The UK’s withdrawal from the EU is and remains a decision which we regret. Nevertheless we want to continue to have the closest possible relations with our British friends. We have now come a key step closer to this goal. My particular thanks extends to Michel Barnier and his team who as chief negotiators for the EU27 have brought about this result with their tireless dedication and commitment.

Together with the other EU member states, we will now look at the proposed text carefully and decide on it at the European Council. For us, it is crucial that the rules of the internal market are not affected. The internal market is a central achievement of the European project.