Serviços de informações portugueses. Estruturas, missões e recursos

As Informações são um instrumento essencial para a salvaguarda da segurança nacional dos Estados e no apoio ao processo de tomada de decisão dos agentes governativos. Em Portugal, o regime democrático vigente não é excepção, tendo a partir de 1984 sido instituído o SIRP – Sistema de Informações da República Portuguesa – volvidos apenas dez anos sobre o 25 de Abril de 1974 e a experiência opressiva da PIDE/DGS. No meio académico, poucos estudos têm sido publicados neste campo, tornando difícil o seu conhecimento aprofundado. A presente tese visa suprir algumas lacunas e proporcionar um contributo científico para uma melhor compreensão das Informações no actual regime democrático, propondo-se a analisar estruturas, recursos e missões dos serviços portugueses. Procede-se primeiramente ao estudo do percurso histórico do SIRP, para constatar o seu lento processo de consolidação institucional na orla do Estado, fruto das sucessivas alterações orgânicas. A impopularidade das Informações junto da classe política e da sociedade civil é identificada nesse processo, verificando-se que o seu enquadramento legal é prudente, restritivo e orientado pelo primado dos direitos, liberdades e garantias em detrimento das necessidades de carácter funcional. A segunda parte da dissertação efectua uma análise de carácter empírico-descritivo a algumas dimensões estruturantes dos serviços (chefias, recursos financeiros e missões). Verifica-se que apesar de o SIRP corresponder a uma estrutura de Intelligence de pequena dimensão cujo desenvolvimento não foi fácil, os serviços portugueses desempenham as suas missões com eficiência e reconhecida qualidade, não obstante a desfavorável cultura de Informações que os envolve.

Os serviços de informações de Portugal: organização e fiscalização

In, RDeS - Revista de Direito e Segurança, nº1 (Janeiro/Junho de 2013), 63-85 pp. que consiste numa versão actualizada do texto publicado na obra colectiva AAVV, Estudos de Direito e Segurança (coordenação de Jorge Bacelar Gouveia e Rui Carlos Pereira), Almedina, Coimbra, 2007, pp. 171 e ss.

O espaço das informações no combate ao terrorismo

The management of terrorism presents an added importance because of the ignorance and uncertainty that this threat to peace launches in societies. From the globalization process has resulted a capacity of mobility and communication which allowed the spread of terrorism globally and hence the ability to be in the international agenda. Thus it became necessary a synergy between the main international organizations and states, in the common interest of managing terrorism to acceptable levels. This thesis aims to assess how much space is reserved for intelligence on combating terrorism. To this end, it carried out a literature review related to intelligence, security and terrorism, such as legislation and official documents, national and international. These allowed realize the strategies for combating terrorism of major international organizations and the Portuguese, the institutions that are in charge of fighting terrorism and related crimes, highlighting the intelligence institutions within the European Union and Portugal. Intelligence should enter on this panel by the need to meet the threat and its contours. On the one hand lies to understand the framework which establishes terrorism, tracing relevant scenarios to reduce uncertainty in decision-making and, on the other hand, also be responsible for disseminating information to other stakeholders on security, allowing its commands to use the means efficiently.

Da intercepção de comunicações, acções encobertas e serviços de informações

The Portuguese Intelligence Services have their operational skills limited due to the grievances caused by the Dictatorship and, in particular, by its political police. With the help of historical elements, and by analyzing current legislation, we demonstrate that such grievances are today unjustified and misplaced, mainly taking into account the Risk Society’s multifaceted threats. Also part of our analysis is the impugnment of the Constitutional Court’s decision nº 413/2015, which pronounced unconstitutional the norm contained in Decree nº 426/XII, of the Republic’s Assembly, article nº 78, nº2, which intended to allow Intelligence Services access to the so-called “metadata”, as well as to tax and banking information. It is our understanding, and we demonstrate it in our dissertation, that should be allowed the access of, not only the above mentioned information, but also the means known as communications interception and undercover operations to the Intelligence Services, as long as properly supervised and inspected.

Fiscalização dos serviços de informações em Portugal

The present work offers a brief historical and evolutionary introduction to the legal basis of the Portuguese Republic Intelligence System (SIRP) which comprises two services – the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Defence Strategic Intelligence Service (SIED) – and two entities responsible for its oversight – the Supervisory Body (CFSIRP) and the Data Monitoring Committee (CFD), also responsible for supervising the Military Intelligence and Security Centre (CISMIL) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (EMGFA). The initial narrative subsequently leads us to a detailed analysis of the Portuguese Intelligence services' current model of monitoring, as well as of the legislator’s options, namely in the legal drafting field, used within the construction and definition of the legal structure that currently regulates the Portuguese Republic Intelligence System. For the purposes of this study we have broadly examined different models of the European Union, in particular those of Belgium, the Netherlands and Croatia. We have also transposed to the text the valuable contributions collected during the research phase, more precisely the replies to questionnaires and interviews conducted with certain individuals selected according to their knowledge and affinity with the subject of this study, including members and former members of the Supervisory Body and former directors of the three portuguese intelligence services. The present dissertation intends to contribute to the development of this subject, promoting critical analysis, within and beyond the academia, with the aim that some of its reflections might be useful towards the intelligence system’s future reform, particularly in what concerns intelligence services monitoring.