EU parliament progress on Brexit deal

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Parliament on Wednesday welcomed progress on agreeing a Brexit deal after Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet approved a draft agreement reached by negotiators.

"It is encouraging to see that we are moving towards a fair deal that should ensure an orderly withdrawal, including a backstop guaranteeing that there will be no hardening of the Northern Irish/Irish border," the EU legislature's Brexit steering group said in a statement.

"This deal is a milestone towards a credible and sustainable future relationship between the EU and the UK."

The EU parliament must approve the agreement for it to take effect.

(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; editing by John Stonestreet)