Between Stars and Shadows: Intelligence Oversight in the Low Countries

On Monday, November 17, 2025, the Strauss-Clements Intelligence Studies Project, the Strauss Center for International Security and Law, and Center for European Studies hosted “Between Stars and Shadows: Intelligence Oversight in the Low Countries.” We were joined by members of the Dutch Review Committee on the Intelligence and Security Services (CTIVD) and the Belgian Intelligence Oversight Committee. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Michael Mosser, Director of the Center for European Studies.

While national security remains the sole responsibility of the Member States of the European Union (EU), intelligence activities increasingly intersect with EU law and institutions. Legal frameworks from both the EU and the Council of Europe influence how intelligence agencies operate, particularly in the field of data protection and privacy. This presentation provided an overview of the state of intelligence and its oversight in the EU. The specific situations of Belgium and the Netherlands were then examined from both a legal and practical perspective.

*This event was part of an occasional series of activities focused on a comparative study of non-U.S. intelligence organizations.