EU to Establish New Intelligence Unit Under Ursula von der Leyen

Brussels — The European Commission has begun setting up a new intelligence body under its president, Ursula von der Leyen, in a move aimed at strengthening the European Union’s capacity to utilize intelligence gathered by national agencies more effectively.

The proposed unit, to be established within the Commission’s Secretariat-General, is designed to collate and coordinate intelligence from across the EU’s member states. According to officials briefed on the plans, the initiative seeks to enhance the operational use of information collected by national spy agencies, improving cooperation and analysis at the EU level.

The new body will reportedly recruit officials from within the EU’s existing intelligence community and work to consolidate intelligence for joint operational and strategic purposes.

While intelligence sharing has traditionally been the domain of national governments, the initiative marks a significant step toward deeper collaboration in European security and defense policy — a priority that has gained urgency amid evolving geopolitical tensions and hybrid threats.

The Commission has not yet released a detailed timeline for the creation of the new unit, but insiders say the move reflects von der Leyen’s broader agenda to strengthen the EU’s security infrastructure and reduce reliance on external intelligence sources.