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 toward 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 toward a credible and sustainable future relationship between the EU and the UK.”

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

(The story is refiled to add dropped word in headline.)