An Intelligence Service for the European Union: Has the Time Come?

Abstract

On 15 September 2021, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, delivered the 2021 State of the European Union (SOTEU) address. As it is known, the SOTEU is the speech that the President of the European Commission addresses to the European Parliament every year in September. It was introduced by the Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission that was concluded by the two institutions in 2010. As provided for under Annex VI to the Framework Agreement, the SOTEU’s purpose is to ensure transparency in the European Union (EU)‘s decision-making process. By giving this speech, the President of the European Commission clarifies what has been done so far and what are the main challenges ahead...