Comments indicate Downing Street believes it is unlikely deal will be reached at summit next week

Major issues are still to be resolved before the UK can agree a deal with the European Union, Downing Street has said, cautioning that “optimistic” comments from EU leaders might not result in agreement at the October summit.

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Theresa May’s spokesman said movement was needed from the EU and no withdrawal agreement could be agreed without a “precise” political declaration on the framework of post-Brexit relations.

“We have always said that we are working hard for a deal this autumn and that continues at pace,” the prime minister’s spokesman said.

No 10 has underlined that both a withdrawal agreement and a precise framework for the future relationship must be agreed simultaneously.

“It’s worth me pointing out that there is a difference between people talking optimistically about a deal and a deal – including both a withdrawal agreement and a future framework – actually being agreed,” the spokesman said. “There remain big issues to work through and, as the PM has said, this will require movement on the EU side.”

The comments indicate that Downing Street believes it is unlikely a deal will be reached at the summit next week and it is likely to be pushed back until an anticipated emergency summit in November.

The EU plans to publish a short political declaration on the future trade relationship next Wednesday. It is said to be around 10 pages long, which No 10 has hinted would be unacceptable. “There can be no withdrawal agreement without a precise future framework,” May’s spokesman said.

“We have said that when MPs take part in the meaningful vote [on the final Brexit deal], they must be able to do so on an informed basis.”

New rounds of technical talks between officials, including the prime minister’s chief Brexit adviser, Olly Robbins, are set to take place in Brussels this week. However, Downing Street would not confirm an expected meeting between the Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, and the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, this week, prompting speculation that progress had stalled.

EU officials and European leaders had talked optimistically about progress over the past few days and Downing Street’s caution may be an attempt at expectation management.

The European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, said on Saturday he “believes that the potential for the two sides to converge has increased in the past days … But it’s not yet clear whether we’ll get a deal in October. If not, we are going to do it in November.”

The Irish foreign minister, Simon Coveney, said the “withdrawal treaty is already about 90% agreed in terms of text … The issues that haven’t been signed off on yet relate predominantly to Ireland and what’s needed now is the two negotiating teams to lock themselves in a room for the next 10 days.”

The so-called “Irish backstop” – a legal agreement guaranteeing the Irish border remains unchanged after Brexit, even if a future trade deal fails to ensure it – remains the key sticking point in negotiations. The government is expected to flesh out the backstop with new proposals on regulations this week.

However, cabinet members are not expecting to discuss the new backstop proposal at their scheduled meeting this week. Instead, the papers indicate the cabinet discussion will be dominated by a presentation on the budget by the chancellor, Philip Hammond, which is due at the end of the month.

May’s spokesman would not speculate further on timing, saying merely that its regulatory backstop proposals would emerge “soon” – making no commitment that they would be discussed by ministers before the October summit.