A draft political declaration on future EU/UK relations agreed today indicates the EU is willing to consider technological solutions to avoiding a hard Irish border.
One solution offered in the 26-page document is the "maximum facilitation" system - or Max Fac - favoured by some in the British administration.
"Facilitative arrangements and technologies will be considered in developing any alternative arrangements for ensuring the absence of a hard border on the island of Ireland on a permanent footing," the draft states.
The declaration envisages "a spectrum of different outcomes" in terms of the practical implementation of checks and controls on movements across borders.
The document, which was leaked in Brussels, sets out plans for an "ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership across trade and economic co-operation, law enforcement and criminal justice, foreign policy, security and defence and wider areas of co-operation".
The EU and UK are "determined to work together to safeguard the rules-based international order, the rule of law and promotion of democracy and high standards of free and fair trade and workers' rights, consumer and environmental protection and co-operation against internal and external threats to their values and interests", it states.
On trade, the EU and UK agree to develop "an ambitious, wide-ranging and balanced economic partnership".
This partnership will be "comprehensive, encompassing a free trade area as well as wider sectoral co-operation where it is in the mutual interest of both parties".
The hoped-for trade deal will be "underpinned by provisions ensuring a level playing field for open and fair competition", facilitating trade and investment while "respecting the integrity of the Union's single market and customs union as well as the UK's internal market".
It will "recognise the development of an independent trade policy by the UK beyond this economic partnership".
On financial services, the declaration calls on the UK and EU to start assessing one another's regulatory frameworks as soon as possible after Brexit, with a view to being able to declare them "equivalent" before the end of June 2020.
Theresa May's plan for Brexit cleared another hurdle after negotiators in Brussels agreed this text for the proposed political declaration on future EU/UK relations.
European Council president Donald Tusk announced that the text had been agreed in draft form by EU and UK negotiators and "agreed in principle at political level".
The announcement clears the way for a special Brexit summit to go ahead in Brussels on Sunday, when leaders of the 27 remaining EU states are expected to give their stamp of approval to the declaration alongside the 585-page withdrawal agreement setting out the terms of the UK's departure.
It follows a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday evening between the British prime minister and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, and is the first indication that the pair reached political agreement in principle on the text.
Downing Street has repeatedly made clear that agreement is needed on the future framework - setting out aspirations in areas like trade and security co-operation and believed to run to a few dozen pages - in order to press ahead with the legally-binding withdrawal agreement.
In a tweet, Mr Tusk said: "I have just sent to EU27 a draft Political Declaration on the Future Relationship between EU and UK.
I have just sent to EU27 a draft Political Declaration on the Future Relationship between EU and UK. The Commission President has informed me that it has been agreed at negotiators’ level and agreed in principle at political level, subject to the endorsement of the Leaders.
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) November 22, 2018
Mrs May is to make a statement to the House of Commons on Thursday afternoon on the latest developments and was speaking to members of the Cabinet in a conference call ahead of that.