WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
Leading intelligence experts in the Bundestag are calling for the establishment of a European spy network, warning that Europe cannot rely on intelligence from the United States amid growing uncertainty.
The chairman of the German parliament’s intelligence oversight committee, Konstantin von Noz, has urged Germany and its European allies to set up their own intelligence-sharing network.
“We need a format for European intelligence cooperation – let’s call it ‘Euro Eyes’ – to ensure that strong states can exchange information quickly and securely on a clear legal basis,” he told POLITICO.
“There is no alternative to increasing our own intelligence capabilities in the future,” von Noz added.
His proposal comes as divisions over intelligence sharing between the United States and its allies are causing concern in Berlin. The CIA’s abrupt halt to intelligence sharing with Ukraine — confirmed Wednesday by Director John Ratcliffe — has fueled fears that similar restrictions could be imposed on Germany, further undermining European security.
“This is a paradigm shift that would hit us hard,” Roderick Kiesewetter, deputy chairman of the Bundestag’s intelligence oversight committee, told POLITICO. “We have relied on American intelligence capabilities for decades. If that is taken away from us, we must quickly develop alternative structures.”
German security agencies have long relied on American intelligence to monitor terrorist threats, cyberattacks and espionage activities. Kiesewetter warned that without access to American data, Germany could lose crucial early warnings.
In 2007, the CIA intercepted emails from the “Sauerland Group,” an Islamist cell that was planning bomb attacks in Germany. US intelligence shared information with German security services, enabling them to thwart the attack. In 2023, US agencies provided German authorities with information on two Iranian-linked suspects in the western town of Castrop-Rauxel who were allegedly preparing a chemical attack.
Von Noz stressed that intelligence cooperation is mutually beneficial. “It has never been a one-way street – Germany, with other partners, also contributes to US intelligence efforts.”
However, due to what Kiesewetter describes as the “unpredictability” of US President Donald Trump, German lawmakers are exploring the possibility of strengthening alternative alliances.
Von Noz proposed deepening ties with the so-called Five Eyes alliance – a long-standing intelligence-sharing alliance between the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US – but warned that Europe should not be solely dependent on the network. Instead, he argues that European states should build their own intelligence-sharing system that reflects their specific security needs and vulnerabilities.
“There is no doubt that the Five Eyes partners share the goal of defending democratic freedoms,” von Noz said. “Germany and Europe must invest more in intelligence structures and forge deeper partnerships based precisely on these shared values.”
The “Euro Eyes” proposal reflects a more complex initiative within the European Union to establish domestic intelligence cooperation. A report by former Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, commissioned by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and published in late October last year, proposed the creation of a “fully-fledged intelligence cooperation service” at the EU level to combat espionage and foreign interference. Niinisto stressed that Europe needs its own intelligence-sharing network to reduce its dependence on the United States.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov indicated that Kiev is already looking for intelligence alternatives. "As for the intelligence, we still haven't received details on how it will be limited," he said while meeting his German counterpart Boris Pistorius in Berlin on Thursday. "But we are already working on alternatives, including - if necessary - requesting support from Germany."
