European Commission weighs creation of intelligence arm amid global tensions

(Reuters) -The European Commission is considering setting up a dedicated intelligence cell to strengthen security amid geopolitical difficulties, an EU spokesperson said on Tuesday, adding that the initiative is still at an early stage.

"We are in a challenging geopolitical and geoeconomic environment, and the Commission, because of this, is examining how to strengthen its security and intelligence capabilities," the spokesperson said.

The Financial Times earlier reported that the Commission has begun setting up a new intelligence body under President Ursula von der Leyen, in an attempt to improve the use of information gathered by national spy agencies.

The unit, to be formed inside the commission's secretariat-general, plans to hire officials from across the EU's intelligence community and collate intelligence for joint purposes, the newspaper reported, citing four people briefed on the plans.

(Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru, Charlotte van Campenhout; Editing by Himani Sarkar, William Maclean)