Security and intelligence agencies consist of the Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA) and the Military and Security Intelligence Agency (VSOA). Security intelligence agencies conduct their sphere of operations based on: national security strategies, defence strategies, annual operations guidelines for security and intelligence agencies, laws, requests from legally appointed government bodies, i.e., requests from those who use the results of security and intelligence agencies' operations.
SOA operations within the Republic of Croatia are directed towards preventing activities or operations which are conducted in order to endanger constitutional order or the security of government bodies, citizens and national interests through: acts of terrorism and other forms of organized violence, intelligence operations conducted by foreign intelligence agencies, organizations or individuals, and also through the activities and organization of extremist groups or individuals, the endangerment of high-ranking state officials as well as security facilities and areas, organized and corporate crime, unauthorised access to protected information and communication systems of governmental bodies, disclosing classified information by heads and employees of government bodies, scientific institutions and legal entities with public authority, and other activities directed towards endangering national security. SOA gathers, analyzes, processes and evaluates political, economical, scientific-technological and security data relating to foreign countries, organizations, political and economical unions, groups and individuals, especially those which show intent or the capability of concealing plans and operations directed towards endangering national security, i.e., data relevant for the national security of the Republic of Croatia.
VSOA is an established unit of the Ministry of Defence, for planning and implementing support for the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces when conducting the task of defending the existence, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia. VSOA gathers, analyzes, processes and evaluates data regarding foreign military and defence systems, external pressure that could influence defence security, as well as foreign activities directed towards endangering the nation's defence security. Within the Republic of Croatia VSOA gathers, analyzes and evaluates data regarding the intentions, capabilities and operation plans of individuals, groups and organizations which have the goal of endangering the state's defence capabilities, and also conducts measures to detect, monitor and counter such activities.
UVNS performs expert and administrative operations for the National Security Council and the Council for the Coordination of Security and Intelligence Agencies, its work enables the National Security Council to analyze reports from security and intelligence agencies, and to evaluate goal achievement of the security and intelligence agencies' performance, to evaluate the implementation of the rulings made by the President and Prime Minister on directing security and intelligence agencies' operations, and facilitates the oversight of the work of security and intelligence agencies by the President of the Republic and by the Government. UVNS integrates delivered reports and information from security and intelligence agencies, drafts periodical reports on various fields of security and intelligence operations, and analyzes and evaluates security and intelligence data which is significant for the Republic of Croatia's national security and important for exercising of the constitutional and legal duties of the President and Prime Minister. Upon request of the President or Prime Minister, UVNS cooperates with security and intelligence agencies in drafting strategic estimates and evaluations of security developments relevant for the Republic of Croatia's national security.
The work of security and intelligence agencies is subject to the oversight conducted by the Croatian Parliament (Hrvatski Sabor), the President, Prime Minister, Office of the National Security Council (UVNS) and the Council for the Civilian Oversight of Security and Intelligence Agencies.
The following is included under national security of the Republic of Croatia: (1) a certain (achieved or planned) state of security, (2) a functional area of operations for various security institutions along with all social efforts in the field of achieving security goals, and (3) the actual security institutions, linked together within an established relations system. The Republic of Croatia strives to develop a state of national security in which its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity is ensured within the guidelines of internationally accepted arrangements, as well as human liberties and the rights of its citizens, political and social stability of its society, stable economic development under free market conditions and entrepreneurship, a functional law-abiding state, internal order and personal safety of citizens as well as healthy and stable ecological conditions. In this sense, national security can be defined as a condition in which the fundamental values of a society and the institutions founded on them are protected.
a series of operational and analytical activities or procedures which allow valid hypotheses and/or conclusions, predictions and evaluations which are to be carried out as precisely as possible based on available information.
planning, gathering, evaluating, processing and analyzing data, as well as distributing analytical information.
a formalised view of facts and knowledge, which is suitable for processing and interpreting.
all gathered data must be evaluated. Proper data evaluation includes assessing reliability of the data source and the credibility of the data content.
a product resulting from gathering, evaluating and interpreting data. It may be general or specialized, and may have a tactical or strategic application.
a process of integrating and describing data, of interpretation and inductive conclusion, hypothesis development (working hypothesis), hypothesis testing and creation of analytical information.
a process of integrating available relevant data, with the goal of understanding its meaning and determining which data is missing.
an estimated explanation; a theory which requires more data in order to be confirmed or contradicted. A hypothesis only exists to be confirmed or contradicted with the help of testing, and to direct further gathering of data. It consists of two parts – the actual theory and the theory's degree of certainty.
a conclusion is reached within a logical framework consisting of arguments and logic (the connection between premises and conclusions)
the process of deriving to a conclusion on/about something, proceeding from general to specific. The conclusion must be derived from a premise. If the premises are true, the conclusion must be true.
the process of deriving to a conclusion on/about something, proceeding from specific to general. The conclusion is derived from a premise but there is no guarantee that the conclusion is valid, even if the premises are true. However, if the premises are true, the conclusion may also be true.
Colloquial expression for SOA's official (operative), whose mission is to collect data and carries out other operative activities within Agency's domain of operations.
Colloquial expression for a covert associate, i.e. individual collecting and delivering data within Agency's domain of operations, being not a SOA official.