Michel Barnier

The presidency of the European Union moved from the Baltic to the Black Sea on Monday, as Bulgaria took over from Estonia for a six-month stint that is likely to be dominated by Brexit wrangles and growing strain inside the 28-member bloc.

The European Union wants a transition period after Brexit to end no later than the last day of 2020, according to the European Commission's negotiating directives agreed on Wednesday./ Reuters

That date, coinciding with the end of the EU's seven-year budget period and 21 months after Britain departs the EU, had long been expected as the target end point of the transition.

''I hope Britain will return to the EU.'' Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in a statement to the Cabinet of Ministers following a meeting with the chief negotiator of the EU's accession to the EU Michel Barnier, FOCUS News Agency reported.

The theme for Brexit again comes to Bulgaria's daily agenda. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov will meet with the chief negotiator of the EU's accession to the EU - Michel Barnier, who arrives on a working visit to Bulgaria, Nova TV reported.

Theresa May has been told she has two weeks to put more money on the table if the EU is to agree to begin Brexit trade talks before the end of the year, reported BBC. 

EU Council President Donald Tusk said he was "ready" to move onto the next phase of Brexit talks, covering future relations with the UK.

Before the negotiations come negotiations about the negotiations.

In Brussels Tuesday, U.K. and EU negotiators will thrash out a format for the next round of Brexit talks ahead of a December meeting of the European Council, when EU leaders will decide if "sufficient progress" has been made to warrant moving to the next stage.

 The European Union is likely to offer Theresa May a transition period after Brexit of just 20 months, according to senior sources in Brussels, The Guardian reports.

We want you to stay in the country after Brexit, was declared by London to EU citizens living and working legally in the UK. British Prime Minister Theresa May wrote in an open letter. It covers around 3 million people from Member States. Their status and place in the country and society is one of the most complex issues for British authorities before and after the referendum on EU membership.

British Prime Minister Teresa May will make an unexpected visit to Brussels today to meet key figures negotiating the release of the UK from the EU.

Romania is not blocking the Brexit negotiations, but the country is naturally interested in defending the principle of the free movement of people, President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday.