Swedish parliament approves creation of new foreign intelligence agency

Sweden’s parliament has approved legislation establishing a new Swedish Foreign Intelligence Service (UND), which is scheduled to begin operations on January 1, 2027.

The new agency will assume some responsibilities currently handled by military intelligence and will work closely with the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish National Intelligence Service and the Security Police, according to the Swedish parliament, Caliber.Az reports.

The government said the new intelligence structure was needed because of the changing security environment, a broad range of threats, rapid technological developments and Sweden’s membership in NATO.

Authorities also said the new agency would help strengthen, specialise and better coordinate Sweden’s foreign intelligence activities.

The proposal to establish the UND was first presented in June 2025 following an inquiry led by former Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.

The inquiry concluded that Sweden’s NATO membership, an increasingly challenging security environment and advances in technology meant the government should not rely solely on military intelligence capabilities and should establish a dedicated foreign intelligence service.

The new agency is expected to complement existing intelligence institutions and strengthen Sweden’s ability to collect and analyse information on threats and developments abroad.

By Sabina Mammadli