"Today, I'm going to be setting out some of the UK's plans, particularly on how we propose to protect the rights of EU citizens and United Kingdom citizens as we leave the European Union".
European Union leaders hope May will build on the positive atmosphere officials reported at the first encounter on Monday (19 June) of the two sides' Brexit negotiators - and that she will avoid campaign rhetoric and threats to walk out of the European Union without settling outstanding issues in a proper treaty.
The fate of an estimated three million Europeans living in Britain and around one million Britons living elsewhere in the EU was thrown into doubt by Britain's vote to leave the bloc past year.
The Brussels summit will also focus on counterterrorism as well as European defense and security policies. The government will also offer a grace period of most likely up to two years to allow people to regularize their status so that "no one will face a cliff edge", she said.
"I want to state clearly that the shaping of the future of the 27 has priority over the negotiations with Britain over its exit".
Formal talks started on Monday, with Brexit Secretary David Davis quickly capitulating to a two phase negotiation agenda, where Brussels and Westminster are to discuss the divorce bill before any further issues are put on the table.
But with talks under way she is due to use a dinner event on Thursday evening to outline how she intends to ensure the rights of European Union and British citizens are protected after Brexit.
The vote came as a profound shock to Brussels against a backdrop of rising anti-EU sentiment, with many - including now U.S. President Donald Trump - predicting the bloc's eventual break-up. "The U.K. has chose to leave the EU".
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel also spoke about Brexit talks upon her arrival.
"The Brexit negotiations started 3 days ago".
Other non-negotiables were the role of the European Court of Justice - May has repeatedly said that "we're taking back control of our own rules" and, the source said, EU citizens could rely on the protection of "our highly respected courts". "I told them that in fact the European Union was built on dreams that seemed impossible to achieve", he said, before turning to the late Beatle to clarify.
It is hoped other European leaders will follow the lead of PM May and French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently agreed on a cross-national effort to remove extremist material from the internet.
The UK may also differ from the European Union on the rights of several categories of citizens including students and stay-at-home parents who are "self-sufficient" who have lived in the country without private health insurance. Their early priority will be to reassure the estimated 4.5 million European and British nationals living in each others' countries that they won't be forced to leave their homes or find new jobs after Brexit.
"You may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one", he added with a broad smile, quoting Lennon's iconic song "Imagine".
"So now that the negotiations have started, we are determined to get on with the job and deliver that certainty as soon as possible". We know that we will want to work with Great Britain later. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one".
After a string of small-scale terrorist attacks in European capitals this week, the EU leaders also agreed to join efforts seeking to curb online extremism and crack down on Europeans who go overseas to fight jihad.
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