MI5 forced to share intelligence with EU

Thursday, 7 August 2008 5:16 PM

Britain's security services will be forced to share their information with their European counterparts, under new guidelines being drawn up in Brussels.

Under the plans all European countries would be forced to put their secret information into a central intelligence unit accessible by all member states.

MI5 and MI6 are thought to be furious with the plans, but the government itself contributed to the document, indicating they will become law in the UK.

The document, European Home Affairs in an Open World, was drawn up by justice ministers from France, Germany, Sweden, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, as well as the European Commission.

There are no proposals for a central European spy agency, but each country's intelligence agencies would be coordinated through SitCen, an EU intelligence assessment centre in Brussels.

National programmes of DNA testing and databasing, CCTV recording and 'spy drone' material gathering would be standardised and extended.

Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: "This report reveals the enormous scope of Brussels' ambitions for EU control over vital areas of national security policy.

"While practical co-operation between EU partners is important - the government must resolutely resist any attempt to fetter British control over this important policy area."

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• defence
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• eu structure
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• europe
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• foreign policy