It puts the talks with the UK on a better track to organise the withdrawal in an orderly manner.

However, I would recommend that everyone remains cautious and calm:

It will be for the European Council to decide on Friday first if sufficient progress has been made based on the Commission's recommendation.

Even if the European Council does recognise sufficient progress on Friday, we will have a final agreement only if the political commitments taken by Theresa May on behalf of the British government last Friday are respected. We will be vigilant.

We will not accept any backtracking from the UK on commitments in the Joint Report. All our points of agreement are now closed.

Our working method has been successful so far because we have put things in the right order.

We need to keep the same method in phase 2.

First, we will need to ensure that the Joint Report is translated into legally binding and precise language for the Withdrawal Agreement. What I told Ministers is that we will be ready to present a draft of the withdrawal agreement early in the new year.

Secondly, if the European Council adopts additional guidelines for a transition and if the Council gives us the mandate to do so at the next General Affairs Council end of January, we will start negotiations on the transition arrangements.

Thirdly, we have discussed with Ministers the need to continue our internal preparations on the different elements for the future relationship. Many Ministers said that the UK must clarify what it wants.

One last point: « sufficient progress » does not mean « full progress ». There are other points to discuss for the UK's orderly withdrawal, for instance:

The governance of the Withdrawal Agreement itself, including dispute settlement and measures in case of non-compliance;

Other separation issues which have either not been finalised – such as on Euratom - or have not yet started – such as on the protection of data which have been processed before Brexit;

And of course Ireland, where the UK has made important commitments, but where much work remains to be done in a distinct strand of negotiations. On this, all Ministers agree. Ireland requires specific solutions because it is in a unique situation.

Full speech

Invitation letter by President Donald Tusk to the members of the European Council ahead of their meetings on 14 and 15 December 2017

[...]The improved economic situation provides an opportunity to discuss the challenges ahead and the ways to tackle future crises. I want us to have an open discussion on the Economic and Monetary Union and the Banking Union on the basis of the enclosed Note on the EMU.

Finally, the European Council will decide whether it is time to move our negotiations with the UK to the next phase. Whether we have enough guarantees that citizens' rights, EU financial interests and the integrity of the Good Friday Agreement in Ireland will be effectively protected when the UK leaves the EU. In short, whether sufficient progress has been achieved. The EU and UK negotiators have prepared a joint report on what has been agreed so far, and I think we have a satisfactory result on most issues. For that reason, and based on the recommendation by our chief negotiator, I have tabled guidelines which will signal, if you agree, that we are ready to move to the second phase, which will expand discussions to cover transition and the framework for the future relationship. The conclusion of the first phase of negotiations is moderate progress, since we only have ten months left to determine the transition period and our future relations with the UK. This will be a furious race against time, where again our unity will be key. And the experience so far has shown that unity is a sine qua non of an orderly Brexit. [...]

Full letter