Reformen: Neue Befugnisse für Geheimdienste, Zoll und Altersvorsorge – das hat das Kabinett heute beschlossen

The German government has granted new powers to intelligence agencies, customs and pension systems, marking one of the most extensive reforms of the country's security apparatus in recent years. The cabinet approved the proposal by Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) on Wednesday in Berlin. Along with the reform, the cabinet passed legislative drafts on combating financial crime, private pension schemes for children, carbon pricing, and youth protection.

An overview of all cabinet decisions: Intelligence and Foreign Intelligence: From Observer to Actor. Up until now, German intelligence agencies were only allowed to investigate threats without intervening. However, that is changing. The cabinet approved a legislative draft by Dobrindt that grants active powers to the Federal Office for Domestic Protection, the domestic intelligence agency, and the Federal Intelligence Service, the foreign intelligence agency.

Specifically, both agencies will be able to disrupt attackers' infrastructure and conduct covert interventions in certain threatening situations in the future. This greatly exceeds their previous mandate, which was limited to observation and intelligence gathering. The background is primarily the Russian threat: cyberattacks on authorities, disinformation campaigns, and hybrid warfare have dominated the security debate in Berlin in recent years.

Compared to Europe, German agencies have significantly fewer competencies than their British or French counterparts. The law still needs to pass through the Bundestag. The Federal Council can call for a conciliation committee, but the law is not mandatory for approval.