The Italian Intelligence and Security Services
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[Who we are]
[Government and Parliament]
[The structure]
[Links to sites of interest]
[GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES]
[The President of the Council of Ministers]
[The Delegated Undersecretary for the Intelligence and Security Services]
[The Minister of Defence]
[The Minister of the Interior]
[COLLECTIVE BODIES]
[CIIS]
[CESIS]
[PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE]
[PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS]
[Reform of Act No.801/77, parliamentary proceedings]
[Parliamentary control acts]
Government and Parliament | Collective Bodies | The Minister of Defence
CESIS is chaired by the President of the Council of Ministers or, by proxy, by a government authority. It is composed of the Chief of the Italian Defence General Staff, the General Director of public security - the Chief of the Police, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Commanders of the 'Carabinieri' and of the 'Guardia di Finanza' (Customs and Excise Police), the directors of SISMI and SISDE, the Secretary General of the President of the Council of Ministers' Office and the Secretary General of CESIS.
The activities of CESIS are of a technical-consulting nature and aim to offer to the President of the Council of Ministers all the elements required for the effective co-ordination of the services. This became necessary after the choice made by the legislator to establish two distinct Intelligence Services, as in many other Western European countries.
CESIS is a collective department. It should be pointed out that the expression "CESIS" is often used to refer to the General Secretariat of CESIS, that is to say, to the offices managed by the Secretary General of CESIS.
Besides supporting the collective department, the Secretary General of CESIS acts as the link between the Services and the political authority responsible for ensuring a unique political direction of the two intelligence bodies.
In this context, the General Secretariat of CESIS takes on the role of the office that the President of the Council of Ministers uses to effectively carry out his duties in the intelligence and security sector.
The Executive Committee for the Intelligence and Security Services (CESIS)
ESTABLISHMENT
* Art. 3 law n. 801, of 24 October 1977, «Establishment and regulations of the intelligence and security services and discipline of State secret».
COMPOSITION
* Chaired by the President of the Council of Ministers or, by proxy, by a government authority. It is composed of the Chief of the Italian Defense General Staff, the General Director of public security - the Chief of the Police, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Commanders of the "Carabinieri" (Military Police Force) and of the "Guardia di Finanza" (Customs and Excise Police), the directors of SISMI and SISDE, the Secretary General of the President of the Council of Ministers' Office and the Secretary General of CESIS, who is not only a member but also acts as the Secretary;
* The President of the Council of Ministers may invite representatives of other ministries or public bodies to participate in the meetings, in relation to the subjects to be discussed.
FUNCTIONS
* Provides the President of the Council of Ministers with (art. 3 law n. 801/1977):
a. all the elements required for the co-ordination of the activities of the Services;
b. analysis of the intelligence provided by the Services;
c. situation assessments;
* indicates the intelligence and security Services of other Countries with which SISMI and SISDE are allowed to establish contacts, coordinating the relevant relations;
* manages all matters relating to the personnel of the Intelligence bodies.
MEETINGS
* As required by the President of the Council of Ministers.or by the delegated Authority.