EU agrees plan for joint spy school

The European Union has agreed plans for a joint spy training centre, along with 16 other projects, as the bloc makes tentative step towards closer military integration after Brexit.

The Joint EU Intelligence School will be led by Greece and based in Cyprus. It will train intelligence agency staff from around the EU in cooperation with national agencies and Nato.

Britain, Denmark and Malta are not taking part in the scheme, which is part of the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) pact to encourage closer defence cooperation.

The UK has blocked previous moves towards a joint intelligence centre for the EU, arguing it would undermine the “five eyes” alliance of Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Brexit means that the British can now safely be ignored.

The so-called “spy school” has already attracted derison, given that it is led by two of the most Russia-friendly EU countries in Greece and Cyprus, the Politico website reported.

The establishment of the centre could also raise eyebrows in Turkey, which is at loggerheads with Greece and Cyprus over energy rights in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The school and other PESCO projects was signed off by defence ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday evening.

Greece will also lead the training of EU helicopter crew in hot and high conditions.

Some Brexiteers believe that PESCO is the first step towards the creation of an EU Army, a long-term vision recently backed by Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel.

In reality previous PESCO projects have struggled to get off the ground.

According to the list of new projects, Germany will work on a new generation of drones to monitor land and sea and ways to improve the Franco-German Tiger helicopter.

Italy will be in charge of a new balloon-based intelligence project, called the European High Atmosphere Airship, which will constantly snoop from the skies above.