Germany fears for UK about....?

                            

Germany fears Britain may pull out of a key intelligence-sharing programme in May next year, a move that it says would create a “moment of weakness” in the fight against terrorism and jeopardise security across the EU.

As the continent remains on alert over terrorist attacks, Berlin is understood to view British intelligence as its primary contribution to European collaboration, and fears it could use future cooperation as a bargaining chip in Brexit negotiations.

According to documents seen by the Guardian, Germany is already lobbying the British government to renew its role in Europe’s law enforcement agency Europol before its current collaboration runs out on 1 May 2017, a move towardsintegration at a time when Theresa May is expected to be negotiating Britain’s withdrawal from the EU or steering a leave bill through parliament.

In a response to a parliamentary question submitted by Germany’s Left party, Angela Merkel’s government confirmed that it believes the European commission should encourage the UK to remain in Europol.

Doing so was in Britain’s interest, the document produced by the German interior ministry said, because “collaborating and sharing information via Europol can help the UK prevent and fight terrorism and serious crime”.

Following a series of attempted terrorist attacks over the summer and a politically charged debate about the risks of Merkel’s stance during the refugee crisis, German politicians in particular are concerned that Britain could use its large intelligence capacities as a bargaining chip.

“Recent attacks and arrests of suspected terrorists have shown that a close collaboration between international security agencies is indispensable”, said Stephan Mayer, the interior policy spokesperson of Merkel’s CDU/CSU party group. “Even after a possible Brexit, the fight against terrorism will remain an enormous challenge for European states; and this naturally applies to Europol’s work too.”

“All those responsible have to guarantee that this cooperation continues successfully and without friction in spite of a Brexit. The international fight against Islamic extremism and terrorism cannot afford a moment of weakness”, Mayer said.

European governments and Brussels officials have been emphasising in public that there can be no pre-negotiations with Britain, however informal, until May officially informs the EU of its intention to leave by triggering article 50. Before October’s European council meeting in Brussels, German government officials had vehemently denied that security cooperation would form part of the discussions at the summit.