EU and UK publish Joint Statement outlining progress in negotiation (Source: Getty)

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said the two had advanced on issues for which European businesses need certainty, such as customs, VAT, Euratom, and certificates for goods. Differences remain over how to deal with the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland following Brexit.

A final version of the Withdrawal Agreement, together with an accompanying political declaration on the framework for the future relationship, should be agreed by the EU and the UK by October 2018.