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The bloc’s most senior officials got together ahead of the so-called high-level meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss their strategy. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels would be ready to negotiate around the clock in order to strike a Brexit deal with Britain. Writing on Twitter, the top eurocrat said: “The EU is ready to intensify the talks, we are available 24/7.

“Let’s inject fresh momentum into the negotiations.”

Council President Charles Michel and Parliament President David Sassoli will also attend the virtual talks later this afternoon.

They have heeded warnings from Downing Street that the UK expects a deal to be concluded before the autumn.

A UK Government spokesman said: “The high-level meeting was always envisaged as a moment to push the negotiations forward.

“We now need to get this resolved and deliver certainty for businesses at home and in the EU as soon as possible.”

The two sides are still both at loggerheads over future access to Britain’s fishing waters, the regulatory level-playing field and a future role for the European Court of Justice.

But UK sources are hopeful they can strike up a “political understanding” with the bloc as negotiating efforts are ramped up in the coming weeks.

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