Director of the National Intelligence Centre (Spain)

The Director of the National Intelligence Centre, officially Secretary of State-Director of the National Intelligence Centre (SED) is the head of the National Intelligence Centre (CNI), the main intelligence agency of Spain. The SED is appointed by the Monarch at the proposal of the Minister of Defense after deliberation by the Council of Ministers. The director is the main advisor to the prime minister and to the defence minister in matters of intelligence and counterintelligence.

As head of the Spanish intelligence services, the SED is responsible for promoting the agency's actions and coordinating its units to achieve the intelligence objectives set by the central government, ensuring the adequacy of the Centre's activities to these objectives and displaying the representation of that.

The SED also prepares the CNI budget; appoints and separates staff; establishes the necessary relationships with public and private entities, with the law enforcement agencies and with the civil and military administrations for the proper development of the activities of the Centre and the SED also heads the National Cryptologic Center. Furthermore, the director is the only official competent of the CNI to authorize its personnel to use firearms.

The Secretary of State-Director is legally considered as the National Intelligence and Counterintelligence Authority. The SED is also member of the National Security Council and the National Defense Council.