Germany reforms its main intelligence service

Germany's Bundestag approved on 21 October 2016 a comprehensive reform of the country's main intelligence service, the BND. The new legislation strengthens government monitoring of intelligence activities while explicitly allowing the BND to carry out certain types of surveillance activities.

The reform came in the wake of the 2013 revelations that a number of national intelligence services, including the BND, had spied on behalf of the US National Security Agency (NSA) and that the NSA had spied on its allies. That prompted the formation of a German parliamentary committee to draft intelligence agency reforms.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: German prosecutors launch investigation of spying charges http://www.europeansources.info/record/german-prosecutors-launch-investigation-of-spying-charges/

ESO: Background information: German intelligence service allegedly spied on US and European targets http://www.europeansources.info/record/german-intelligence-service-allegedly-spied-on-us-and-european-targets/

EurActiv, 21.10.16: Germany’s intelligence service reform stokes controversy http://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/germanys-intelligence-service-reform-stokes-controversy/

Deutsche Welle, 21.10.16: Bundestag to vote on better scrutiny of intelligence services http://dw.com/p/2RVXQ

Politico, 21.10.16: German Bundestag votes to boost control over intelligence services http://www.politico.eu/article/german-bundestag-votes-to-boost-control-over-intelligence-services/

The Local.de, 29.06.16: Berlin puts spies on tighter leash after NSA scandal https://www.thelocal.de/20160629/berlin-puts-spy-service-on-tighter-leash-after-nsa-scandal-bnd

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