National Security Council (Spain)

The National Security Council of Spain is the principal advisory body used by the Prime Minister for considerations of national security and foreign policy matters with senior ranks of the Administration with competencies in these matters. It was created in 2013 with the unanimous agreement of all political forces in the Cortes Generales within the framework of the National Security Strategy.[1]

National Security Council
Consejo de Seguridad Nacional

A Council's meeting in 2019
Agency overview
FormedJuly 2013, 11 (11-07-2013)
Jurisdiction Spain
Agency executives
Child agencies
  • National Maritime Safety Council
  • National Cybersecurity Council
  • Specialized Immigration Committee
  • Specialized Committee on Energy Security
  • Specialized Situation Committee
  • Specialized Non-Proliferation Committee
Constitutive session of the Council chaired by King Juan Carlos I and in which the Crown Prince, Felipe, also participated.

NSC meetings are only held when convened by the Prime Minister.[2]

Functions

According to the National Security Act 36/2015 (LSN), NSC has the following functions:[3]

  • To dictate the necessary guidelines in the planning and coordination of the National Security policy.
  • To direct and coordinate by Royal Decree the actions of management of crisis situations in the terms foreseen in Title III of the LSN.
  • To supervise and coordinate, by Royal Decree, the National Security System.
  • Verify the degree of compliance with the National Security Strategy and promote its revisions.
  • Promote and encourage the development of the necessary second level strategies and, if necessary, proceed to their approval, as well as their periodic reviews.
  • Organize ,by Royal Decree, the contribution of resources to National Security in accordance with the provisions of the LSN.
  • To approve the Annual National Security Report before its presentation in the Cortes Generales.
  • Agree the creation and strengthening of the necessary support organs for the performance of their functions.
  • To promote the necessary normative proposals for the strengthening of the National Security System.
  • Carry out the other functions attributed to it by the applicable legal and regulatory provisions.
  • To advise and inform, at least once a year, the King of Spain in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the armed forces. The king is Chairman of the Council when he attends its sessions.

In case of crisis:

  • The National Security Council shall determine the liaison and coordination mechanisms necessary for the National Security System to be activated in a preventive manner and to monitor the situations likely to arise in a situation of National Security interest.
  • In the situation of interest to the National Security, the President of the Government will call the National Security Council to exercise the functions of management and coordination of the management of said Situation, all without prejudice to the application of the legislation in matters of National Defense and of the powers that correspond to the Council of Ministers. In cases where the President of the Government decides to designate a functional authority for the promotion and coordinated management of the actions, the National Security Council will advise on the appointment of such authority.
  • The National Security Council shall advise the President of the Government when the situation requires the application of exceptional measures provided for in the crisis management instruments of the international organizations of which Spain is a member, without prejudice to the powers of the Ministers and of the provisions in the legislation on National Defense.

Members

Support bodies
A meeting of the Situation Committee in 2014, chaired by Deputy PM Sáenz de Santamaría.

The National Security Act, in its article 21, section 1, letter h, grants the Council the power to create support bodies to carry out its functions. Since 2013, 8 support bodies have been created:

  • Specialized Situation Committee or just Situation Committee. Created in 2013 to support the CSN in its functions as crisis manager.
  • National Maritime Safety Council, created in 2013.
  • National Cybersecurity Council, created in 2013.
  • Specialized Immigration Committee, created in 2014.
  • Specialized Committee on Energy Security, created in 2017.
  • Specialized Non-Proliferation Committee, created in 2017.
  • National Aerospace Safety Council, created in 2020.
  • Specialized Committee against Terrorism, created in 2020.

Meetings

Since its inception, the National Security Council has convened 22 times.[4]

Date Place Chaired by Matters discussed Ref.
11 July 2013 Zarzuela Palace King Juan Carlos I Constitutive meeting. Council's internal rules; National Security Act draft bill. Crown Prince Felipe also attended. [5][6]
20 September 2013 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy International policy issues, specifically but not only about the Middle East. Procedural issues about the National Security Act draft bill. [7]
5 December 2013 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy The Council approved the Cybersecurity and Maritime Safety Strategies and it created the Situation Committee and the National Maritime Safety and National Cybersecurity councils. [8]
14 February 2014 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy The evolution of the strategies approved on previous meetings; the status of the international missions of the Armed Forces and the works on the National Security Act draft bill. [9]
25 April 2014 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy National and international matters important to the national security and the approval of the first Annual Report about National Security. [10]
10 July 2014 Zarzuela Palace King Felipe VI To inform The King about the work made by the Council in its first year of life as well as discussing issues important to national security. The Council approved the creation of the Specialized Immigration Committee. [11][6]
31 October 2014 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy Actions taken by the Special Committee about the Ébola virus. Issues relating to maritime safety, cybersecurity and immigration were also discussed. [12]
23 January 2015 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy Jihadist terrorism and violent radicalization. [13]
24 April 2015 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy National and international matters important to the national security. Among them, the migratory crisis in the Mediterranean and the situation in Libya (Libyan Civil War) stand out. The Council also approved the Annual Report about National Security and the National Plan to comply with the United Nations Resolution 1540. [14]
20 July 2015 Zarzuela Palace King Felipe VI National Security Act draft bill; humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean and jihadist terrorism. The Council also approved the National Energy Security Strategy. [15]
14 November 2015 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy Extraordinary meeting of the Council to discuss the November 2015 Paris attacks and the actions of the government in this matter. [16]
20 November 2015 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy National and international matters important to the national security. Specifically, the government's measures in response to the 2015 Paris attacks were analyzed. [17]
27 May 2016 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy Mediterranean migration crisis, refugees and measures taken by Spain; jihadist terrorism; Venezuela's situation. The Council approved the Annual Report about National Security. [18]
20 January 2017 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy National and international matters important to the national security. Specifically, jihadist terrorism and consequences of the bad weather in the country. It was also discussed the instability of certain geographical areas important to the Spanish national security; the Council approved the 2016 Annual Report; and the works to the new National Security Strategy were started. The Council approved the creation of the Specialized Committee on Energy Security. [19]
1 December 2017 Moncloa Palace Mariano Rajoy National and international matters important to the national security. The Council approved the new National Security Strategy and the creation of the Specialized Committee on the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. It also discussed the accession of Spain to the PESCO Program. [20]
16 July 2018 Zarzuela Palace King Felipe VI Mediterranean migration crisis; jihadist terrorism and the international deployment of the Armed Forces. [21]
21 January 2019 Moncloa Palace Pedro Sánchez First meeting held in the new facilities of the Department of National Security. The Council discussed and approved the National Strategy against Organized Crime and Serious Crime 2019-2023, the National Bio-custody Plan (for the effective custody of relevant biological agents, controlling their access and the physical protection of the facilities where these agents are handled, as well as their safe transport) and the new National Strategy Against Terrorism. [22]
15 March 2019 Moncloa Palace Pedro Sánchez The Council approved the 2018 Annual Report about National Security, the Maritime Safety Action Plan and it also discussed procedures to prevent fake news. The Secretary of State for Press was convened to the meeting for the first time. [23]
12 April 2019 Moncloa Palace Pedro Sánchez The Council discussed and approved three new strategies: on Aerospace Safety, Civil Defence and Cybersecurity; and it created the Coordination Network for Electoral Processes Security. [24]
4 March 2020 Zarzuela Palace King Felipe VI To inform The King about national security issues as well discuss them. The Council approved the creation of the National Aerospace Safety Council and the Specialized Committee against Terrorism. [25]
22 June 2020 Zarzuela Palace King Felipe VI To inform The King about national security issues and to analyze the situation relating the COVID-19 pandemic. [26]
6 October 2020 Moncloa Palace Pedro Sánchez The Council discussed the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, it approved new procedures for the new National Security and Energy Safety strategies and it approved a new Procedure for Action against Disinformation. Likewise, the Council approved the creation of a strategic reserve of national capacities for industrial production and the national strategic plans for the Prevention and Fight against Violent Radicalization and the Fight Against the Financing of Terrorism. [27]

References
  1. País, Ediciones El (2013-07-11). "Nace el Consejo de Seguridad Nacional presidido por el Rey". EL PAÍS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  2. País, Ediciones El (2013-07-11). "Nace el Consejo de Seguridad Nacional presidido por el Rey". EL PAÍS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  3. "Ley 36/2015, de 28 de septiembre, de Seguridad Nacional". www.boe.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  4. "El Consejo de Seguridad Nacional | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  5. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 11 de julio de 2013 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  6. "Felipe VI preside el Consejo de Seguridad Nacional en su primer aniversario". abc (in Spanish). 2014-07-09. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  7. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 20 de septiembre de 2013 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  8. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 5 de diciembre de 2013 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  9. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 14 de febrero de 2014 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  10. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 25 de abril de 2014 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  11. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 10 de julio de 2014 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  12. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 31 de octubre de 2014 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  13. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 23 de enero de 2015 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  14. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 24 de abril de 2015 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  15. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 20 de julio de 2015 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  16. "Reunión extraordinaria del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 14 de noviembre de 2015 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  17. "Reunión Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 20 de noviembre de 2015 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  18. "Reunión Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 27 de mayo de 2016 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  19. "Las consecuencias de la ola de frío, entre los temas tratados por el Consejo de Seguridad Nacional presidido hoy por Mariano Rajoy | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  20. "Aprobación de la Estrategia de Seguridad Nacional 2017 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  21. "Felipe VI preside el primer Consejo de Seguridad Nacional de la etapa Sánchez". www.lavanguardia.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  22. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional en el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional - 21.01.2019 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  23. "Consejo de Seguridad Nacional.- 15.03.2019 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  24. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional - 12.04.2019 | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  25. "Reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional - Presidida por S.M. el Rey | DSN". www.dsn.gob.es. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  26. "El Rey preside en Zarzuela el Consejo de Seguridad Nacional". abc (in Spanish). 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  27. Press, Europa (2020-10-05). "Sánchez preside mañana en Moncloa la reunión del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional, la tercera de la legislatura". www.europapress.es. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
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