The need for the establishment of a European Intelligence Agency was set out by European Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and Justice, Viviane Reding, in an interview with the Greek paper “Naftemporiki”.

After voicing customary EU outrage following revelations of wide-ranging NSA intelligence surveillance activities she then expressed the real concern of EU mandarins – that the EU itself doesn’t have similar capabilities.

According to Reding, “What we need is the strengthening of Europe in the intelligence area, in order to ensure that we negotiate with equal terms with the US. NSA needs a European counterweight. Therefore, my suggestion would be the establishment of a European Intelligence Agency, until 2020.”