Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis leaves Downing Street after a cabinet meeting in London, Britain July 4, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

LONDON (Reuters) - Legislation to begin the process of transferring European Union law into British law will be presented to parliament next week, Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said on Tuesday.

The spokesman said Brexit minister David Davis had given colleagues an update on the “Repeal Bill”, which will shift EU legislation into British law as part of the Brexit process, at a weekly meeting of May’s top team of ministers.

“He said the legislation, which is the start of the legislative process for Brexit, is expected to be tabled next week,” the spokesman told reporters.

Tens of thousands of EU-related laws have made their way onto the British statute book during more than 40 years of membership of the bloc and unpicking that complex legislative web is likely to take many years.

The repeal bill, which the government says will help achieve a smooth transition as Britain leaves the EU, will transpose EU law and repeal the 1972 European Communities Act which formalizes Britain’s EU membership.

It will also give parliament the power to change existing laws to make sure they work after Brexit.