BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union government ministers are meeting to endorse a new set of orders for their Brexit negotiator, focused on ways to ease Britain out of the EU from next year and lay the foundations for their future ties.

The negotiating guidelines set out the terms of a "transition period" that the Europeans want to run from the end of March next year until December 31, 2020.

In a draft of the guidelines, seen by The Associated Press, the EU insists that Britain should have no decision-making powers during the transition, while still abiding by all the bloc's rules, including any new ones.

Ireland's European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said Monday that "When the U.K. leave the European Union they will not be a voice around the table."