Dublin has made clear the nation will not accept a transitional deal without renewed assurances from Britain that there can be a "backstop" arrangement, if all else fails, to avoid a disruptive "hard border" after Brexit.

The meeting comes before EU leaders are expected to offer London a deal on a transition period at a summit on Friday.

EU diplomats and officials say a deal on the transition, a key issue for British business, is close to an agreement after negotiations through the weekend.

Ahead of an EU27 of meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, Ireland’s Simon Coveney said: "The EU27 have been consistent that there can be no backsliding on any part of December's agreement.

"This highlights the importance of the UK engaging meaningfully on all aspects of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the fallback Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland."

An Irish spokesman said Mr Coveney was looking forward to hearing the assessment of EU negotiator Mr Barnier on whether that is happening, adding: "This will be necessary to move the negotiations on at Friday's European Council."

The Irish foreign minister’s comments come as Mr Davis is in Brussels to meet with Mr Barnier today.

The Brexit Secretary stressed last week that he wants to shake hands on a transition agreement this month so talks can move onto the UK's future relationship with the EU.

UK negotiators are said to be anxious that a hard-line Franco-German alliance with Ireland could yet scupper a transition deal.

One senior British negotiator said the chances of an agreement are “pretty high,” but told Politico: “The risks are more in Berlin and Paris than Brussels.”

There is mounting concern Dublin, Berlin and Paris could still try and use the Irish border to halt any agreement with Mr Davis.

That was a point European Council President Donald Tusk sought to reinforce during a visit to Dublin last week as he said: “We expect the UK to propose a specific and realistic solution to avoid a hard border.

“As long as the UK doesn’t present such a solution, it is very difficult to imagine substantive progress in Brexit negotiations.”

One UK official said the European Council summit this week is the EU’s moment of maximum leverage because the value of the transition period to London rapidly deteriorates after this month.

However, a senior Council official also said: “I don’t think anybody on the EU27 side has any illusion that there will be a solution for Ireland before next Friday.”