The European Commission has begun the creation of a new intelligence body under President Ursula von der Leyen, the "Financial Times" reports.
The aim is to improve the use of information gathered by national spy agencies.
The unit, which will be formed within the commission's general secretariat, plans to recruit staff from across the EU's intelligence community and gather intelligence for joint purposes, four people familiar with the plans have revealed.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and warnings by US President Donald Trump to reduce US security support in Europe have prompted the EU to rethink its domestic security capabilities and embark on its biggest rearmament campaign since the Cold War
One of the people said: "EU member states' spy services know a lot. The Commission knows a lot. We need a better way to bring all this together and be effective and useful to partners. In intelligence you have to give to get".
The move is opposed by senior officials in the EU's diplomatic service, which runs the bloc's Intelligence and Situation Centre (Intcen), who fear it would duplicate the unit's role and jeopardise its future.
Although the plan has not been officially communicated to all 27 EU member states, the body aims to draw on officers seconded from national intelligence agencies.
A commission spokesman said the EC was "looking at how to strengthen its security and intelligence capabilities." As part of this approach, the creation of a special unit within the General Secretariat is being considered.
"The concept is being developed and discussions are ongoing. No specific timetable has been set", the sources said, adding that the unit "will build on existing experience in the Commission and will cooperate closely with the relevant services of the European External Action Service".
Sharing intelligence has long been a sensitive issue for EU member states. Large countries such as France, with extensive spying capabilities, have been reluctant to share sensitive information with partners. The emergence of pro-Russian governments in countries such as Hungary has further complicated cooperation.
Member states are expected to resist moves by the EC to create new intelligence powers for Brussels, two of the sources said, but added that there have long been concerns about the effectiveness of Intcen, especially as Europe responds to Russia’s hybrid warfare.
Trump’s suggestions that the US could reduce its support for Europe — and his temporary suspension of intelligence assistance to Ukraine this spring — have highlighted the continent’s dependence on Washington for certain capabilities.
The new unit is the result of von der Leyen’s decision to create a dedicated “security college” where her commissioners would be briefed on security and intelligence issues. It also took action to finance arms purchases for Ukraine and launch the Iris satellite project.
Intelligence sharing with the EU dates back to the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, which prompted the spy agencies of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom to start pooling classified security assessments. This eventually became more institutionalized, expanded to include other member states, and in 2011 was incorporated into the EU diplomatic service.