Security and Intelligence Agency (Croatia)


The Security and Intelligence Agency is the Croatian security and intelligence service founded in 2006 upon the passing of the Security and Intelligence System of the Republic of Croatia Act and by combining the former Counterintelligence Agency, and the Intelligence Agency which both ceased to operate.
The Director of SOA is appointed or dismissed by a joint decision made by the President and the Prime Minister.
WWW soa.hr

History

1991 – 2002

During the 1990s the central body for conducting national security was the Office for the Protection of Constitutional Order which was established by the President Franjo Tuđman on May 27, 1991. UZUP was decommissioned on March 21, 1993 when the National Security Office was established by the second President's decision. UNS was put into the legal framework on May 17, 1995 by the enactment of the Law on the National Security Office. Goals and tasks of the intelligence community in Croatia were also determined by the Joint National Security Committee and the Intelligence Community Coordination Committee. The task of SONS was directed and coordinated by the work of government ministries in matters of national security, while KOOZ was responsible for the implementation of tasks received from SONS. The core of the intelligence community consisted of four departments that were involved in intelligence work:
The Croatian President was giving guidelines for the work of UNS and the Croatian intelligence community. The director of UNS and state ministers were determining tasks of the services for which they were responsible. KOOZ was preparing the annual plan of the intelligence community which consisted of projects and operative actions in which performance had to be attend by two or more services. SONS was approving the annual work plan of the intelligence community and supervised its execution. Apart from the above-mentioned UNS and other agencies, a wider range of security system consisted of the criminal police, military police, customs service, the financial police, whose representatives could call the session of KOOZ.

2002 – 2006

In 2002 the Croatian Parliament passed a Law on Security Services of the Republic of Croatia and the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Croatia. The law established three security services:
In order to achieve cooperation between the President and the Croatian Government in guiding the work of the security services as well as to harmonize the operational work of the security services, the Council for National Security established the Council for Coordination of Security Agencies. Special Office of the Council for National Security was established to perform professional and administrative work for the National Security Council and the Council for Coordination of Security Agencies.

2006 – Present

The 'Security and intelligence system' was reformed in mid-2006 by adopting the Law on Security and Intelligence System. The law established two security services that are still active today:
  • Security and Intelligence Agency
  • Military Security and Intelligence Agency.

Working areas

SOA is focused on preventing activities or actions that endanger the constitutional order, and the security of state bodies, citizens and national interests by:
  • terrorism and other forms of organized violence,
  • intelligence activities of foreign intelligence agencies, organizations and individuals,
  • extremist organization and activities of groups and individuals,
  • endangering the safety of the highest state officials and protected facilities and space,
  • organised and financial crime,
  • unauthorized access to protected information and communication systems of government bodies,
  • disclosure of classified information by heads and employees of state bodies, scientific institutions and legal persons with public authority,
  • other activities aimed at threatening national security.
SOA gathers, analyzes, processes and evaluates data of a political, economic, scientific-technological, and security nature pertaining to the state, organizations, political and economic alliances, groups and people, particularly those who indicate intentions, capabilities, plans and hidden secret activities threatening national security, or data that is of importance to national security of the Republic of Croatia.