UPDATED 10.39am Bill English is expected to encourage negotiations for a trade deal with the European Union, on his first overseas trip as Prime Minister.

LISTEN ABOVE: New Zealand International Business Forum's Stephen Jacobi spoke to Tim Dower on Summer Breakfast about Bill English's trip

Mr English is heading to Europe for nine days on Monday where he'll meet with a number of leaders, including British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Executive director of the International Business Forum Stephen Jacobi told Tim Dower the EU needs to get a mandate from member states

"I guess the Prime Minister will be doing his best to encourage the leaders that he's meeting that hits would be in the best interest of the EU and he'll be trying to find the pulse of trade in the EU in light of all that's happened."

Mr Jacobi said it's not a trade delegation - it's a political trip.

"We've been making quite a bit of progress with the EU over the last year or so, and it's about trying to get the line sorted out for the eventual announcement of a negotiation with the EU."