European Intelligence Agendas and the Way Forward

Abstract

The landscape of intelligence and security cooperation in Europe can be compared to an impressionist painting. From afar, observers can identify homogenous zones, representing the convergence of national interests and priorities that drive cooperation. Upon closer examination, this landscape reveals a variety of brushstrokes and differences. The oeuvre is complex and prone to multiple interpretations, depending on the position and predispositions of the observer. An examination of converging and diverging trends in the European intelligence landscape suggests that there is not one but multiple European intelligence agendas that partially overlap. This situation is unlikely to change in the next decade, but we can expect intelligence cooperation to deepen.