Talks about Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union will now enter the second phase of negotiations following an agreement struck overnight.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker confirmed this morning the UK had made “sufficient progress” in meeting the necessary terms of the Brexit divorce bill.

The announcement came after Theresa May and David Davis made an early-hours journey to Brussels to meet with Mr Juncker and the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street. Picture: Getty Images.

It followed talks which continued into the early hours between the Prime Minister and Democratic Unionist Party, Arlene Foster, whose party scuppered a deal at the eleventh hour on Monday.

Mr Juncker lauded the breakthrough in Brexit talks and said he will recommend that negotiations be broadened to future relations and trade.

He told reporters that “I believe that we have now made the breakthrough that we needed”.

He said that he would recommend to EU leaders that “sufficient progress has been achieved” on the terms of the divorce to starting talking about issues like future relations and trade.

Mr Juncker said that the decision on whether to move forward to talks on trade and the transition to a post-Brexit relationship was in the hands of the leaders of the 27 other EU nations, meeting in Brussels at a European Council summit on Thursday, but said he was “confident” they would do so.

The Commission president said: “I will always be sad about this development, but now we must start looking to the future, a future in which the UK will remain a close friend and ally.”

Mrs May said that intensive talks over the past few days had delivered “a hard-won agreement in all our interests”.

The Prime Minister said the agreement would guarantee the rights of three million EU citizens in the UK “enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts”.

She said that it included a financial settlement which was “fair to the British taxpayer” and a guarantee that there will be “no hard border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic, preserving the “constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom”.

She said that the agreement between the UK and the Commission, being published in a joint report, would offer “welcome certainty” to businesses.

EU leaders meet in Brussels next Thursday and are likely to endorse the assessment that enough progress has been made on the terms of Britain’s financial settlement, the status of Irish borders and the rights of citizens hit by Brexit.

Humza Yousaf asked to clarify his plans for low emission zone

Under the terms of the negotiations being carried out under Article 50 of the EU treaties, the European Council must agree that sufficient progress has been made on the divorce issues of citizens’ rights, the Irish border and the UK’s financial settlement before talks can move on to the issues of trade and transition.

The publication of the joint report makes it all but certain that EU27 leaders will approve this step on Thursday, marking a significant step forward in the process leading towards UK withdrawal in March 2019.

It eases pressure on Mrs May, who was facing the prospect of businesses activating contingency plans to move staff and activities out of the UK if no progress had been made by the end of the year.

Mr Juncker cautioned: “The joint report is not the withdrawal agreement. That agreement needs to be drafted by the negotiators on the basis we have agreed yesterday and today and then approved by the Council and ratified by the UK Parliament and European Parliament.”

Mr Juncker said that he and Mrs May had discussed the need for a transition period following the formal date of Brexit, and shared “a joint vision of a deep and close partnership”.

“It is crucial for us all that we continue working closely together on issues such as trade, research, security and others,” he said.

“We will take things one step at a time, starting with next week’s European Council, but today I am hopeful that we are all moving towards the second phase of these challenging negotiations and we can do this jointly on the basis of renewed trust, determination and with the perspective of a renewed friendship.”

Mrs May said that the negotiation process “hasn’t been easy for either side”.

“When we met on Monday, we said a deal was within reach,” the PM said. “What we have arrived at today represents a significant improvement.”

Mrs Foster had said that “substantial changes” to the text rejected on Monday would mean there was “no red line down the Irish Sea” in the form of a customs barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Ireland’s deputy prime minister Simon Coveney said this morning the government was content at assurances it had achieved about avoiding a hard border.

He said there was now “no scenario” that would result in new border checkpoints.

“Ireland supports Brexit negotiations moving to phase two now that we have secured assurances for all on the island of Ireland,” he said.

He said the deal “fully protected” the Good Friday Agreement, the peace process and an all-Ireland economy.

Mrs May and her Brexit Secretary arrived at the Berlaymont shortly before 7am Brussels time (6am GMT).

The Government’s chief whip Julian Smith had sent a series of tweets last night hinting at potential movement in the negotiations.

He wrote: “@theresa_may has worked tirelessly this week to try to move EU negotiations onto the next stage in the National Interest”, and added: “@theresa_may has led very challenging negotiations this week with energy, persistence & drive.”

He went on to say: “I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that the views of @Conservatives MPs are fully reflected in phase 2.”

BREAKING: Theresa May achieves breakthrough in Brexit negotiations