EU stands ready to examine more Brexit assurances to Britain over Irish backstop

The European Union "stands ready to examine whether any further assurance can be provided" to Britain over the Irish backstop and their tentative divorce agreement, a draft seen by Reuters showed on Thursday.

The draft, a six-point document the EU is preparing for British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday to help convince the divided UK parliament to approve their Brexit deal, said any such assurances would not "change or contradict" the agreement.

The other 27 EU states have not yet agreed on much of the text and diplomatic sources said especially the paragraph on the EU's readiness to provide more assurances to Britain was likely to change later in the day because of opposition from Ireland as well as other bloc members.