National Security Council (Spain)

According to the National Security Act 36/2015 (LSN), CSN has the following functions:^[2]

• To dictate the necessary guidelines in the planning and coordination of the National Security policy.
• To direct and coordinate by Royal Decree the actions of management of crisis situations in the terms foreseen in Title III of the LSN.
• To supervise and coordinate, by Royal Decree, the National Security System.
• Verify the degree of compliance with the National Security Strategy and promote its revisions.
• Promote and encourage the development of the necessary second level strategies and, if necessary, proceed to their approval, as well as their periodic reviews.
• Organize by Royal Decree, the contribution of resources to National Security in accordance with the provisions of the LSN.
• To approve the Annual National Security Report before its presentation in the Cortes Generales.
• Agree the creation and strengthening of the necessary support organs for the performance of their functions.
• To promote the necessary normative proposals for the strengthening of the National Security System.
• Carry out the other functions attributed to it by the applicable legal and regulatory provisions.
• To advise and inform the Monarch at least once a year. The Sovereign will chair meetings when present.

In case of crisis:

• The National Security Council shall determine the liaison and coordination mechanisms necessary for the National Security System to be activated in a preventive manner and to monitor the situations likely to arise in a situation of National Security interest.
• In the situation of interest to the National Security, the President of the Government will call the National Security Council to exercise the functions of management and coordination of the management of said Situation, all without prejudice to the application of the legislation in matters of National Defense and of the powers that correspond to the Council of Ministers. In cases where the President of the Government decides to designate a functional authority for the promotion and coordinated management of the actions, the National Security Council will advise on the appointment of such authority.
• The National Security Council shall advise the President of the Government when the situation requires the application of exceptional measures provided for in the crisis management instruments of the international organizations of which Spain is a member, without prejudice to the powers of the Ministers and of the provisions in the legislation on National Defense.