The EOS Committee stays in contact with other oversight bodies in many countries. We cooperate with several other oversight bodies and regularly attend conferences about oversight of intelligence and security services. As intelligence and security services cooperate internationally, we believe it’s necessary for oversight bodies to share expertise, experiences and ideas for good oversight.

 

The oversight bodies in the Nordic countries cooperate closely. We are in regular contact with the Danish Intelligence Oversight Board (TET), the Swedish Foreign Intelligence Inspectorate (SIUN), the Agency for Oversight of Privacy Protection in Law Enforcement (MSI) and the Intelligence Ombudsman in Finland. The oversight bodies meet biannually for a Nordic Meeting.

The Committee participates in the Intelligence Oversight Working Group (IOWG). The oversight bodies of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and the UK are members of the group. IOWG meets several times a year to discuss oversight and oversight methods. The group´s charter is available here. I 2018 the IOWG published a statement on “Strengthening oversight of international data exchange between intelligence and security services”. 

The heads of the oversight bodies in Intelligence Oversight Working Group
The heads of the oversight bodies in Intelligence Oversight Working Group: From left: Vanessa Samain (Belgium), Gunnel Lindberg (Sweden - SIN), Marie Deschamps (Canada), Brian Leveson (The UK), Prisca Fischer (Switzerland), Hugo Hillenaar (The Netherlands), Grete Faremo (Norway), Lars Bay Larsen (Denmark) and Monika Sörbom (Sweden- SIUN).

For several years, the EOS Committee has participated in two international conferences where the theme is oversight of intelligence and security services. The European Intelligence Oversight Conference (EIOC) gathers oversight bodies that conduct independent legal review of intelligence and security services in European countries. At the International Intelligence Oversight Forum (IIOF), oversight bodies, researchers, NGOs and employees of governments and intelligence and security services, meet for a joint conference. The EOS Committee, Siun, SIN and TET hosted EIOC in 2023. I 2026, Norway hosts the IIOF.

The Committee has also cooperated with DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Through the cooperation, we arranged a seminar in Oslo in 2003. This led to the publication of the book “Making Intelligence Accountable”. A similar seminar was held in 2008, followed by the book “Making International Intelligence Cooperation Accountable” in 2015. We have also contributed to the 2026 book “Intelligence Oversight in the Euro-Atlantic Area: Extending to Law Enforcement Functions”. In addition to this, the EOS Committee stays in contact with researchers and think tanks such as interface, that research democratic oversight of intelligence and security services and other themes within the Committee´s area of oversight. 

The EOS Committee also has bilateral contact with several countries. We hold lectures and share our experiences with others in Norway and abroad when we can. In the Committee´s annual report, there is a summary of the Committee´s meetings and visits with our foreign partners, participation in international conferences and seminars.

All cooperation and exchange of information is unclassified. We discuss oversight methods and legal interpretation at a general level, share general experiences and learn about legal developments and method developments in other countries. This gives the Committee valuable input to develop our own oversight methods.