Plans for a military structure that will be able to act autonomously from Nato have been drafted by the EU’s head of foreign affairs

A timetable setting out steps to create EU military structures, billed by some countries as the foundation of a “European army”, will be announced this week.

Federica Mogherini, the EU’s head of foreign affairs, told ambassadors yesterday that she would table the “road map” to take advantage of “political space” opened by the Brexit vote.

Her plans for military structures able “to act autonomously” from Nato have led to fears that the EU is seeking to rival the alliance that has been the primary European defence structure since 1949.

Ms Mogherini told diplomats working for the European External Action Service that the military plan was the EU’s best chance to relaunch itself after the “shocking result” of the referendum on EU membership. “It might sound