The leaders of Germany, France and Italy say there can be no negotiations with Britain on the country's depature from the European Union until London has formally declared its intention to quit.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says, "we agree there will be no formal or informal talks" with Britain until Article 50 has been invoked.
Merkel spoke Monday in Berlin after meeting with French President Francois Hollande and Italian Premier Matteo Renzi.
The leaders of Germany, France and Italy want the upcoming European Union summit in Brussels to start finding answers to the challenges the bloc is facing after Britain's vote to leave.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Premier Matteo Renzi said in a joint statement Monday that they will propose Tuesday to fellow European leaders "to start a process based on a concrete timeframe and precise obligations."
The three leaders said after meeting in Berlin that the remaining 27 EU heads of state should come together again in September to discuss their common priorities.
They also called for EU countries to agree on concrete projects focusing on growth and security that should be implemented within six months.
In a joint statement the leaders of Germany, France and Italy say the European Union "must dedicate itself to the worries expressed by its citizens."
In their statement Monday, the three leaders said that the EU is a success and that the bloc is indispensable in securing "the economic and social progress for our people, and to assert Europe's role in the world."
But German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Hollande and Italian Premier Matteo Renzi acknowledged that the EU can only advance if it is supported by its people.
The union and especially its policy makers in Brussels have often been criticized for being detached from ordinary people's worries — a sentiment that has led to a strengthening of anti-EU movements in several of its member states.