Von der Leyen Recommended to Establish ‘EU CIA’
A recent report urges Brussels to take charge of coordinating the intelligence gathering efforts among member states. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A recent report has urged Brussels to enhance coordination in the intelligence-gathering efforts of its member states.
The EU report advocates for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to establish a “fully fledged” intelligence agency designed to streamline the secretive operations of member countries. However, even supporters of this initiative acknowledge that it might come with significant costs and may not be well-received.
Authored by former Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and released on Wednesday, the report addresses the EU's readiness for military engagement and proposes several broad recommendations. For instance, it encourages officials in Brussels to foster a “preparedness culture” and to “strengthen civil-military coordination frameworks.”
Among its more specific suggestions, the report proposes the creation of “a fully-fledged intelligence cooperation service, serving all EU institutions and member states.” This agency would compile intelligence from national agencies to support both the strategic and operational needs of EU-level policy-making and decision-making.
While the proposed intelligence entity is referred to by PMG as a “CIA-style spy service,” the report does not suggest that it would conduct operations outside of the EU’s borders, unlike the CIA's role in the U.S. intelligence framework. Rather, its focus would be on “coordinating specific counter-espionage tasks” and assisting member states in “countering threats against them posed by hostile foreign intelligence services.”
At the launch event for Niinisto’s report, von der Leyen acknowledged that member states might be hesitant to let Brussels manage their intelligence operations. For the time being, she indicated that the EU would prioritize “strengthening information sharing.”
Niinisto also pointed out that during the report’s research phase, he encountered “many critical voices” from member states apprehensive about increasing the EU's budget to support this new agency.
Should the report's propositions be implemented, it would represent yet another expansion of the EU’s authority. Two years ago, the bloc adopted its inaugural common defense strategy, which paved the way for the establishment of a 5,000-strong “rapid deployment” force. Last month, von der Leyen appointed former Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius as the EU's first defense commissioner.
Earlier this month, Kubilius expressed his intention to enhance arms production across the EU, asserting that “we must be ready to meet Russia militarily in six to eight years.” He has also advocated for the EU to seek regime change in Moscow while supporting “democratic forces” aiming to overthrow President Vladimir Putin’s government.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
The EU report advocates for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to establish a “fully fledged” intelligence agency designed to streamline the secretive operations of member countries. However, even supporters of this initiative acknowledge that it might come with significant costs and may not be well-received.
Authored by former Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and released on Wednesday, the report addresses the EU's readiness for military engagement and proposes several broad recommendations. For instance, it encourages officials in Brussels to foster a “preparedness culture” and to “strengthen civil-military coordination frameworks.”
Among its more specific suggestions, the report proposes the creation of “a fully-fledged intelligence cooperation service, serving all EU institutions and member states.” This agency would compile intelligence from national agencies to support both the strategic and operational needs of EU-level policy-making and decision-making.
While the proposed intelligence entity is referred to by PMG as a “CIA-style spy service,” the report does not suggest that it would conduct operations outside of the EU’s borders, unlike the CIA's role in the U.S. intelligence framework. Rather, its focus would be on “coordinating specific counter-espionage tasks” and assisting member states in “countering threats against them posed by hostile foreign intelligence services.”
At the launch event for Niinisto’s report, von der Leyen acknowledged that member states might be hesitant to let Brussels manage their intelligence operations. For the time being, she indicated that the EU would prioritize “strengthening information sharing.”
Niinisto also pointed out that during the report’s research phase, he encountered “many critical voices” from member states apprehensive about increasing the EU's budget to support this new agency.
Should the report's propositions be implemented, it would represent yet another expansion of the EU’s authority. Two years ago, the bloc adopted its inaugural common defense strategy, which paved the way for the establishment of a 5,000-strong “rapid deployment” force. Last month, von der Leyen appointed former Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius as the EU's first defense commissioner.
Earlier this month, Kubilius expressed his intention to enhance arms production across the EU, asserting that “we must be ready to meet Russia militarily in six to eight years.” He has also advocated for the EU to seek regime change in Moscow while supporting “democratic forces” aiming to overthrow President Vladimir Putin’s government.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
