DGSI within international intelligence

To carry out this mission, DGSI has nurtured a long standing and close collaboration with many foreign Services as well as with NATO’s and the European Union’s relevant authorities. DGSI’s international activities – be they bilateral or multilateral – are not limited to the fight against terrorism, but rather covers the near totality of its field of expertise, such as counter intelligence, counter proliferation, economic security, or even the fight against violent extremism.

NATO has a vast network of committees at its disposal, covering all areas from political to technical or operational matters. The decision‑making process through consensus is applied strictly at all levels. 

The interactions between DGSI and NATO happen in the framework of NATO’s CIC (Civilian Intelligence Committee). DGSI, together with DGSE (Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure or General Directorate of External Security), represent France within this body. This Committee is a working group within which allied civilian services produce summaries aiming at collective decision‑making, mainly at the North Atlantic Council level.

This committee answers to NATO’s main political decision‑making body: the North Atlantic Council (called “the Council” or “the NAC”). The council, chaired by the NATO Secretary General, can convene at the permanent representative level (ambassadors), at the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs level, and at the Heads of State and Government level (in a “Summit” format every two years). 

France is a EUROPOL partner in all matters. EUROPOL’s strategy for the years to come is to strengthen the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime, child pornography, as well as economic and financial crime. 

The relation between DGSI and EUROPOL is set in a framework defined long ago. This relation hinges on two principles: preserving national prerogatives with regards to intelligence; and fostering the relation with the European agency. The nature of the relation is mainly judicial, for enforcing treaties. As far as intelligence is concerned, the relation mainly deals with transferring analysis data and enables for sharing practices on matters of counter‑terrorism.France is a EUROPOL partner in all matters. EUROPOL’s strategy for the years to come is to strengthen the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime, child pornography, as well as economic and financial crime. 

The relation between DGSI and EUROPOL is set in a framework defined long ago. This relation hinges on two principles: preserving national prerogatives with regards to intelligence; and fostering the relation with the European agency. The nature of the relation is mainly judicial, for enforcing treaties. As far as intelligence is concerned, the relation mainly deals with transferring analysis data and enables for sharing practices on matters of counter‑terrorism.

CTG was created following the terrorist attacks on the US in 2001. During the extraordinary Justice and Home Affairs Council of 20 September 2001, the Ministers called on the Heads of the EU security services to increase their cooperation and develop information sharing among themselves so as to foster a tighter counter‑terrorist cooperation. 

CTG is made up of intelligence and security services from the European Union member States as well as that of Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, all tasked with preventing and fighting against terrorism (30 members).

In 2017, it developed an informal platform to facilitate information exchange on counter‑terrorism matters. The member services answer only to their respective national authorities, applying the principle according to which national security is part of each member State’s sovereign rights. To fulfil its missions, CTG covers a wide array of activities tied to counter‑terrorism both analytically and operationally. 

As such, CTG remains outside of the European bodies, while keeping in constant relation with them. Its main interlocutors are the European Union Intelligence and Situation Center (EU-INTCEN), Europol, the EU’s Counter‑Terrorism Coordinator, and the European Commission. 

Today and in the future, cooperation happens in the framework of national legislations and in strict compliance with sensitive information protection protocols.