Faced with the increase in attacks “hybrids”former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö calls for the establishment of an intelligence cooperation service within the European Union, in a report submitted to the Commission on Wednesday.
In this document dedicated to strengthening European defense, Sauli Niinistö insists on “the significant increase (…) in malicious activities on EU territory”of the “hybrid activities” more and more “aggressive”especially from Russia.
To cope, he calls for “gradually strengthen the EU’s intelligence structures”until setting up a “full-fledged service” cooperation in this matter. Between Member States, “we must trust each other”he stressed to the press in Brussels.
As a first step, his report suggests strengthening the current European intelligence analysis structure, SIAC, with more staff and additional skills.
The proposal of a “full-fledged service” of ” cooperation “ would be put on the discussion table in a second phase, in conjunction with the Member States on this always sensitive sovereign subject.
Sauli Niinistö would like a real “counterespionage culture” within the European Union.
The debate on a potential European intelligence agency is a sea serpent in Brussels, because states do not want competition with their own services.
In his report, Sauli Niinistö emphasizes that the “malicious actors” can currently ” exploit “ THE « divergences » legislation and practices between the 27 in terms of counter-espionage.
He calls for harmonizing the rules against clandestine activities. It would be necessary to ensure, for example, that a hostile spy from a foreign country expelled from a Member State cannot be subsequently redeployed in another European country.
This could happen through a “secure common database on people at high risk”according to the Finnish leader.
Sauli Niinistö conseille aussi de “limit if necessary” the movement of diplomatic personnel or citizens of a country representing a threat in terms of sabotage or espionage.
A little over six months ago, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen entrusted him with this report on European defense and security, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine.
“Putin’s war in Ukraine poses the greatest threat to our security” currently, Ms von der Leyen stressed on Wednesday. “Russia’s defense spending is surpassing the collective amounts of all European member states combined. We must therefore intensify our efforts”she pleaded.
