【By Chen Sijia, Observer Net】According to a report by the Financial Times on November 11, the President of the European Commission, von der Leyen, is planning to establish a new intelligence department responsible for organizing intelligence collected by EU member states and improving the efficiency of intelligence utilization. The European Commission has not yet officially conveyed von der Leyen's plan to all EU member states, but it is expected that the plan will face resistance.

Four sources familiar with the matter revealed that the new intelligence department will be established within the general secretariat of the European Commission, and plans to hire intelligence officers from EU countries to consolidate intelligence for the EU's common goals. However, the European Commission will not send agents to engage in intelligence activities.

One source said: "The intelligence departments of EU member states know a lot of information, and the European Commission also knows a lot of information. We need a better way to integrate this intelligence to provide effective assistance to partners. In intelligence work, you must pay some price to get something."

However, the source added that von der Leyen's plan has been opposed by senior officials of the European External Action Service (EEAS). The EEAS is the main body responsible for the EU's external relations, and its EU Intelligence and Situation Centre (INTCEN) is responsible for analyzing and assessing intelligence collected by EU member states. EU officials are concerned that the new intelligence department will duplicate the functions of INTCEN.

European Commission President von der Leyen IC photo

Regarding the related reports, a spokesperson for the European Commission told the Financial Times that the European Commission is studying how to strengthen its security and intelligence capabilities, "As part of this effort, a dedicated team is being considered within the general secretariat."

The spokesperson said: "The concept is under study and discussion, and there is no specific timetable set. The team will be based on the existing professional capabilities of the European Commission and closely cooperate with the relevant departments of the European External Action Service."

The Financial Times noted that intelligence sharing among EU countries can be traced back to 2001, after the United States suffered the "9/11" terrorist attacks, the intelligence agencies of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the UK began to share classified security assessments. This cooperation later gradually became institutionalized and expanded to all EU member states, eventually being incorporated into the management of the EU's external affairs department in 2011.

However, intelligence sharing is also a "sensitive issue" between EU countries. Major member states such as France have strong intelligence capabilities, but these countries are cautious about sharing sensitive information with partners. After the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, some EU countries such as Hungary have maintained close ties with Russia, making EU internal intelligence cooperation more complicated.

A source said that the European Commission has not yet officially conveyed von der Leyen's plan to all EU member states, and it is expected that the plan to expand the European Commission's intelligence powers will face resistance in various countries. However, two sources also said that given the current Russian "security threat," the EU is concerned about the effectiveness of the existing intelligence analysis agency INTCEN.

With the Ukraine-Russia conflict stalemated and US President Trump threatening to reduce security support for Europe, the EU is seeking to rearm and enhance its defense capabilities. Von der Leyen has decided to establish a specialized "Security Academy" to provide the European Commission with briefings on security and intelligence issues, ensuring that the leadership of the European Commission can regularly understand security threats and developments.

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