The European Union has approved a mandate outlining its negotiating stance with Britain for post-Brexit trade.
A 46-page-document was confirmed by leaders in Brussels this morning, ahead of a formal announcement expected this afternoon.
Boris Johnson and his top trade team are discussing their stance this morning and will outline details later this week.
A copy of the EU mandate, seen by the BBC, said the "envisaged agreement should uphold common high standards, and corresponding high standards over time with Union standards as a reference point".
This rings true with public statements from the bloc that Britain must respect some level of alignment in order to retain access to the single market.
Michel Barnier, the European Union's chief negotiator, has insisted that Britain must sign up to a "level playing field" in any free trade agreement.
The bloc stated that any future relationship with the UK should be "underpinned by robust commitments to ensure a level playing field for open and fair competition, given the EU and the UK's geographic proximity and economic interdependence".
After the Brexit date of January 31 Britain entered an 11-month transition period, in which the prime minister has insisted he will secure a fresh agreement with the bloc.
However, its figureheads have said they feel this timeframe might be too tight.
The British negotiating team is expected to push for a Canada-style agreement - though the bloc has rejected this notion previously.
