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European Commission Drafts Intelligence Unit Reporting to Von der Leyen

The Commission says the idea is embryonic, intended to complement existing EU intelligence bodies.

Overview

  • The proposed unit would sit in the Commission’s General Secretariat and send assessments directly to President Ursula von der Leyen.
  • Officials say the service would rely on specialists seconded from national agencies, with no Commission field agents and likely only a small expert team.
  • A Commission spokesperson described the project as at a very early stage, with no formal proposal to the 27 member states and no timeline set.
  • Representatives of member states and EU intelligence leaders have raised concerns about duplication with the existing Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity, which includes INTCEN and the military’s EUMS INT.
  • Backers frame the effort as strengthening European autonomy after the Ukraine war exposed reliance on U.S. support, including a temporary pause in U.S. intelligence aid to Kyiv and cautionary signals from Washington.