Brexit - as it happened: David Davis hails 'significant step' as UK and EU strike draft transition deal

Interesting tweet here from The Times' deputy political editor, showing how seriously the Government is taking getting everything through Parliament.

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and David Davis are giving a press conference in Brussels.

Barnier says a 'decisive step' has been taken as they have been able to 'agree a large part' of the ordered withdrawal of the UK.

'We are not at the end of the road,' says Barnier, with more needing to be done on Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The European Council will decide whether to approve the draft agreement on Friday, he said.

'We have been able to make agreement on citizens rights and the financial settlement,' Michel Barnier says.

Not everyone seems convinced by the progress that has been made:

The transition period will be of 'limited duration' as per requests, Michel Barnier says.

Britain will have no part in decision-making after March 2019 but it will have access to all the benefits - single market, customs union - so must respect the rules, he adds.

Barnier says citizens who arrive in the UK after March 2019 - but during the transition - will have the same rights as those who arrived before. This has been a key sticking point between Theresa May and Brussels.

Michel Barnier says there must be a "workable and practical" solution to the Irish border after Brexit.

He says both sides will be committed to December's joint report but issues in the EU text will be dealt with. He says a "backstop solution" must be in the text, unless another solution is found.

David Davis is now speaking.

He says we have taken a "significant step" on the next phase of talks, and he is confident the EU Council will approve it later this week.

He says much of December's joint report has been translated into the text, especially on financial settlement and citizens rights.

One message has been clear throughout - business needs to be able to plan for the future, he says. They now have "certainty" as EU future partnership is becoming clear.

UK will be able to sign new trade deals with old friends and new allies for the first time in 40 years, David Davis says. These will come into force after the transition period is over.

A joint committee of representatives from EU and UK will be set up to make sure both sides "act in good faith" after Brexit, Davis says.

Specific safeguards have been agreed for fishing in 2019, he says. From 2020 UK will be an independent state so it can negotiate these issues independently. The EU will still consult with the UK.

If the UK cannot agree with certain EU rules, it can choose for them not to apply, he says.

On Ireland, David Davis says he wants the relationship to be "so close" that there is no need for a hard border on the island of Ireland.

He admits there is "no agreement on the operational approach but we know what we need to do".

The pair are now taking questions from the audience.

David Davis says the transition period will end in December - which is "near enough" to the 21 months the UK Government asked for.