Intelligence Tradecraft in the European Union

Intelligence tradecraft is defined as the methods developed and practised by every single actor involved in information management and intelligence production. This chapter reflects upon the relevance of secrecy and openness in today’s intelligence analysis. It also highlights the selective presence of the main intelligence disciplines at the strategic level of EU intelligence cooperation. The intelligence cycle inherent in strategic analyses of military aspects of security is juxtaposed with the policy cycle applicable to internal security and criminal intelligence. A general assessment of EU intelligence tradecraft captures horizontal and vertical determinants stemming from variable interactions between national and supranational actors. This chapter also offers some explanation of the quintessence of EU intelligence cooperation in technical and organisational terms.