The Committee on Foreign Affairs proposes that the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) approve the legislative amendments required for Sweden's foreign intelligence service, Und, to begin operations on 1 January 2027. The proposal includes, among other things, a new law on the processing of personal data at the agency.
Sweden is to establish Und as a new agency to strengthen Swedish intelligence operations, the Riksdag announces. According to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the change represents a comprehensive reform of the operation.
According to the press release, the proposed law will give Und the ability to process personal data appropriately, while safeguarding individuals' fundamental rights. Since transparency in the agency's operations will be limited, effective forms of supervision and review are also required.
The government assesses that Und, similar to what currently applies to the Swedish Armed Forces and others, should be able to grant foreign intelligence and security services direct access to registers and databases. Direct access means that an external actor can search for information itself.
The committee notes that the tight timeline presents challenges, but considers that the current security policy situation requires Und to begin operations on 1 January 2027. The transition is to be carried out without interruption or deterioration in Sweden's overall intelligence capability.