Senate committee reviews bill to cap intelligence chiefs' terms at eight years

On Tuesday, the Senate's Defense Committee reviewed a report attached to draft law L662/2024, which aims to restrict the tenure of directors of Romania's intelligence and related services to a maximum of eight years. Sponsored by the USR parliamentary group, the proposal outlines that the director of the Romanian Intelligence Service is appointed by a joint session of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate on the President's recommendation, after a hearing by a supervisory committee, and may serve a four-year term with a single possible renewal, with dismissal requiring parliamentary approval.

The same term-limit and appointment framework would extend to the heads of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Special Transmissions Service, Protection and Guard Service, the General Directorate for Internal Protection and the Army Intelligence Directorate. Senator Nicoleta Pauliuc argued the legislation must clearly separate the notion of "secret services" from "intelligence services." The debate reflects a push for stronger parliamentary oversight of the country's security apparatus.