LONDON

The EU Commission is considering a new initiative to establish a "small" intelligence body in “a challenging geopolitical and geo-economic environment," a spokesperson said Tuesday.

"We are in a challenging geopolitical and geo-economic environment, and the Commission, because of this, is examining how to strengthen its security and intelligence capabilities," Balazs Ujvari told reporters in Brussels.

Ujvari said the Commission is in the early stages of the idea and that the information he can share is "fairly limited."

He said the creation of a dedicated cell will build on existing expertise within the Commission.

"It will complement the work of the Security Directorate of the Commission, and will also closely cooperate with the respective services of the European External Action Service,” said Ujvari.

He added that for now, the concept is being developed and discussions are ongoing.

In response to a question about reports that a new idea behind the new intelligence body is related to the EU combating hybrid threats, Ujvari said the world is changing, and "we need to bear this in mind."

"We have to strengthen our security and intelligence capabilities. It is in this context that we are coming forward with this new initiative, which is in a very early stage," he added.

Paula Pinho, chief spokesperson of the European Commission, also said the idea is that it will be a "small cell."

"And it's meant to really also complement the work of the existing structures, notably within the External Action Service," she added.