Exclusive report: EU officials caught in a spy network

The document, dated April this year, summarizes the findings of an investigation conducted by Anti-Fraud Commissioner Piotr Serafin.His task was to examine allegations that Hungarian intelligence officers, deployed within Hungary&rsquo;s Permanent Representation to the EU in the mid-2010s, attempted to recruit officials from European institutions.The investigation found that Hungarian intelligence services sent several operatives under diplomatic cover to the Permanent Representation between 2013 and 2016.The activities of these intelligence officers in Brussels were initially discreet, but became increasingly overt from 2015 onwards, the document states.Due to the increased activity, the existence of the intelligence network became known even among Hungarian officials working within EU institutions, which, according to the Commission&rsquo;s assessment, weakened the effectiveness of their operations.&ldquo;According to our findings, these activities ceased in 2016,&rdquo; the report states.Individual responsibility could not be established[ 🇭🇺 HONGRIE | 🇪🇺 UNION EUROP&Eacute;ENNE ]🔸Une enqu&ecirc;te interne de la Commission europ&eacute;enne confirme que des agents des services de renseignement hongrois ont op&eacute;r&eacute; depuis la repr&eacute;sentation permanente de la Hongrie &agrave; Bruxelles entre 2013 et 2016, en ciblant notamment des&hellip; pic.twitter.com/utyZAD4PPT&mdash; Little Think Tank (@L_ThinkTank) July 2, 2026At the time when the network allegedly operated, Hungary&rsquo;s Permanent Representation to the EU was headed from 2015 by Oliver V&aacute;rhelyi, then Hungary&rsquo;s ambassador to the European Union and now European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare.He had been working in the representation since 2011.When media outlets first reported last year allegations that the Hungarian embassy had served as a base for an intelligence network, V&aacute;rhelyi told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that he was unaware of any alleged activities by Hungarian intelligence services.He reiterated this position in January this year during a hearing in the European Parliament, when MEPs questioned him about the affair.Serafin&rsquo;s investigation also did not identify individuals who could be directly held responsible for the operation.&ldquo;Based on the information gathered and given the limited powers available to the Commission, it is not possible to establish individual responsibility or involvement of anyone other than the intelligence officers themselves,&rdquo; the document states.The report, submitted to members of the European Parliament, also says the Commission found no evidence of &ldquo;serious security breaches.&rdquo;Hungarian authorities have not commentedShutterstock/Denis ShitikoffHowever, it is the first time it has been officially confirmed that an intelligence network existed and that its targets were employees of EU institutions. According to the document, intelligence officers used their official positions to carry out special tasks that clearly went beyond the usual diplomatic activities of a permanent representation.It is also stated that they established contacts with European Commission officials of Hungarian origin and attempted to obtain detailed information about the Commission&rsquo;s work on issues of particular interest to the Hungarian government.Hungary&rsquo;s Permanent Representation in Brussels did not respond to requests for comment, Jutarnji list reported.The European Commission referred Politico to a statement by spokesperson Balazs Ujvari, who said after the conclusion of the investigation in April:&ldquo;The Commission concluded that, regarding the allegations reported in the media, no serious security breach was identified.&rdquo;

Exclusive report: EU officials caught in a spy network

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