Better self-protection for the Federal Intelligence Service
The Federal Intelligence Service (BND) is to be better able to protect itself against espionage from within its own ranks. This is the aim of a reform of the BND Act, which was passed by the Bundestag this evening. Among other things, it provides for checks on persons, bags and vehicles of employees of the foreign intelligence service without suspicion.
Last December, a BND employee was arrested in Berlin on suspicion of espionage. He is alleged to have passed on information from his work environment to Moscow following the Russian attack on Ukraine.
In addition, the Bundestag restricted the transfer of data from the German intelligence services to the police and public prosecutor's office. In doing so, the MPs are complying with the requirements of the Federal Constitutional Court. Last year, the judges in Karlsruhe ruled that the existing transfer powers went too far and violated the rights of those affected.
Traffic light coalition wants further changes
In future, the BND, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) will only be permitted to pass on data and information under certain conditions - for example, when particularly serious crimes are involved. Without a new regulation, the passing on of such data would have had to be stopped completely at the end of the year.
The amendment to the law is therefore "important for the security architecture of our country", explained Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD). Effective cooperation between the security authorities is essential for the protection of democracy and the country.
In a second step, the traffic light coalition intends to adopt further changes next year - including concrete rules for the use of so-called V-Leute, who provide information from extremist circles, or an improvement in the parliamentary control of intelligence services.
Source: www.dpa.com
