British Prime Minister Theresa May has defended her proposals to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in Britain, saying several leaders of the bloc had reacted positively and she wanted agreement as soon as possible.
Mrs May outlined to EU leaders over dinner last night her plans to grant permanent rights to an estimated three million European citizens living in Britain after Brexit.
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said that the proposals were "not sufficient", while Belgium called the plan "particularly vague".
"That's a first step but this step is not sufficient," Mr Juncker told reporters as he arrived for the second day of an EU summit in Brussels.
At a news conference after the summit this afternoon, Mrs May said she wanted negotiations for Britain to leave the European Union to continue in the constructive fashion that was struck on Monday when they began.
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She said: "I remain of the view that this is a fair and serious offer and let's be clear about what we're saying: those citizens from EU countries that come to the United Kingdom and made their lives and homes in the United Kingdom will be able to stay and we will guarantee their rights in the United Kingdom.
"I think that's a very serious offer. There are some differences between that and the proposals of the European Commission but the matter will now go into the negotiations."
It was her first offer on one of the most contentious issues of the negotiations on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.
European Council President Donald Tusk said the offer was "below expectations".
"Citizens' rights are the number one priority for the EU 27 and we have made our position clear. We want to ensure the full rights for EU and UK citizens after Brexit," Mr Tusk told reporters.
"My first impression," he said, "Is that the UK's offer is below our expectations and that it risks worsening the situation of citizens. But it will be for our negotiation team to analyse the offer line by line once we receive it on paper."
EU leaders have refused to debate the issue at the summit, saying it is a matter for the Brexit negotiators, but their public reaction this morning was distinctly cool.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said the proposal outlined by Mrs May was "particularly vague".
He said he looked forward to seeing the more technical details, including on judicial oversight of citizens’ rights, when Britain publishes a formal paper on the issue on Monday.
"We don't want to buy a pig in a poke," he said.
"The rights of European citizens should be guaranteed in the long term."
"My first impression," he said, "Is that the UK's offer is below our expectations and that it risks worsening the situation of citizens. But it will be for our negotiation team to analyse the offer line by line once we receive it on paper."
EU leaders have refused to debate the issue at the summit, saying it is a matter for the Brexit negotiators, but their public reaction this morning was distinctly cool.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said the proposal outlined by Mrs May was "particularly vague".
He said he looked forward to seeing the more technical details, including on judicial oversight of citizens’ rights, when Britain publishes a formal paper on the issue on Monday.
"We don't want to buy a pig in a poke," he said.
"The rights of European citizens should be guaranteed in the long term."
The EU wants the European Court of Justice to arbitrate on any disputes over citizens' rights in Britain, a proposal London has rejected.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said Mrs May's offer was a "good first proposal, which I appreciate, but it's clear that we have to invest much more work".
European Parliament chief says softer Brexit possible
The president of the European Parliament, meanwhile, has said Britain's Brexit negotiating position is unclear after the general election dealt a heavy blow to Mrs May's authority.
Antonio Tajani suggested last night the result had empowered supporters of a "softer" Brexit in the British government, such as Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, and has left the UK with a more "flexible" approach to its divorce with the European Union.
He raised the possibility of Britain staying in the European single market after the two-year Article 50 exit talks, which will end on 29 March 2019 or before.
Mr Tajani said an agreement similar to those enjoyed by Switzerland or Norway was "possible to do", adding: "It's possible to decide on this after a negotiation."
Switzerland and Norway are not in the EU but both participate in the single market having signed up to the "four freedoms" required, including the free movement of citizens.
Such a deal could see a key plank of Mrs May's strategy, to leave the single market to gain control over immigration, torpedoed.
Mr Hammond remains committed to leaving the single market, despite his calls for a Brexit deal which puts "jobs first".
But Mr Tajani told BBC Newsnight: "The problem is what Mrs May and what the UK government want to do – [do] they want to leave Europe and nothing more, or [do] they want to have closer cooperation ... the example is the cooperation between Europe and Norway.
"But nobody knows. Before the election the May position was very strong. Now I think in the UK the situation, the opinion is more flexible, [that's] my point of view.
"During the negotiation it's possible to combine, to decide. I think we don't have a final position [from] the UK.
"If the UK wants to achieve another agreement it's possible to do it but we need to ask the European Union."
Mr Tajani added: "For this I think it's important to know the real position of the UK."
