National intelligence authorities and surveillance in the EU: Fundamental rights safeguards and remedies

Report (2014)

Given the present state of law, Luxembourgish legislation does not provide any legal basis for mass surveillance. Nonetheless, various social and political developments compelled the state to develop them ... [more ▼]

Given the present state of law, Luxembourgish legislation does not provide any legal basis for mass surveillance. Nonetheless, various social and political developments compelled the state to develop them in the interests of national protection. During the cold war, Luxembourg had prepared to protect the country from the Soviet Union threats. Under such circumstances, it created the State Intelligence Service SIS (Service de renseignement de l'état, SREL) whose mission of that time was to protect national secrets externally and secrets of the United States with whom Luxembourg was united by common defense agreements [less ▲]