COPENHAGEN, Denmark

The Czech Republic on Tuesday rejected Finland’s proposal for a joint EU intelligence agency, calling it “unrealistic” to address security challenges effectively.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala told the news website Euractiv that the new EU security plan presented by former Finnish President Sauli Niinisto on the creation of a full-fledged intelligence cooperation service at the EU level is “unrealistic”, expressing his doubts about further integration.

"I support the deepening of mutual cooperation between intelligence services, but I do not consider it realistic to build a truly functional joint service," Fiala added.

Separately, EU Minister Martin Dvorak also voiced support for increased intelligence cooperation but expressed his reservations over the idea of a joint European intelligence mechanism.

"The establishment of a common European intelligence service along the lines of the US CIA is not on the agenda, and Niinisto's report touches on this issue only marginally,” said Veronika Lukasova, a spokesperson for Dvorak.

"Similar proposals have appeared several times in the past, but they have never gained support,” said Ladislav Sticha, a spokesperson for the Security and Information Service.

Sticha said that intelligence services in Europe cooperate very closely through various platforms, adding that the functionality of a joint EU intelligence agency would be “very problematic.”