A report commissioned for EU chief Ursula von der Leyen argued that the European Union should institute a bloc-wide international intelligence service to coordinate the espionage efforts of the 27 member states.
Former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö called for forming a “fully-fledged EU service for intelligence cooperation” in light of the European Union’s various challenges.
In a report published this week, Niinistö cited Brussels’s being caught flat-footed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Chinese coronavirus crisis as examples of why the bloc should create a CIA-style intelligence service.
The neoliberal politician said that the EU “requires a new mindset” to strengthen its preparedness for potential crises.
He argued that the “territorial integrity and political independence of every Member State are inextricably linked” and, therefore, “if the security of one Member State is breached or its sovereignty violated, this directly concerns the other 26 and the Union as a whole. We share a single security.”
The former Finnish president said that during emergencies, it is imperative for “rapid decision-making and action,” and thus, the EU “requires greater clarity of organisation”.
In addition to creating a supranational intelligence service, Niinistö urged for a new legal framework to enable “lawful access to encrypted data” — something spy chiefs seemingly clamour for everywhere — to combat espionage, sabotage, terrorism, and organised crime.
The EU has been in a protracted battle with tech firms over encryption, arguing that the ability to break through the privacy system is important to combat crimes such as child sex abuse. However, technology companies and civil liberties advocates have warned that giving such a tool to governments would endanger individual privacy rights.
Niinistö also called for EU nations to “strengthen their cooperation on European defence,” potentially hinting at forming a European Union Army, an apparent goal of leading Eurocrats such as President von der Leyen.
The former Finnish leader said increasing military spending and seeking to “close longstanding gaps in our military and defence industrial readiness” would also be necessary to “support Ukraine in the long term in a way that creates the conditions for a lasting peace on Ukraine’s terms.”
The report comes as the EU Commission created its first-ever Defence Commissioner, with President Ursula von der Leyen appointing former Lithuanian PM Andrius Kubilius to the role last month. Kubilius has been tasked with overseeing the €1.5 billion European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), which will seek to organise the production of various defence contractors across the bloc.
Commenting on the report from Niinistö on Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen said: “Being adequately prepared for major threats requires working in a whole-of-government approach… This means, the ability to use in a concerted and coordinated fashion all the necessary tools and resources of public policy, mobilising authorities at all levels – national, local, and EU – according to their different roles.”
“But this also requires a whole-of-society approach. Therefore, engaging the private sector, civil society and citizens. In other words, preparedness cannot be built in silos. Instead, preparedness requires interaction.”