Foreign Intelligence Agency (AW)

Status

The Act of 24 May 2002 creates the Foreign Intelligence Agency, responsible for protecting the external security of the state (art. 2).¹

The Head of the AW is a central government administration body and reports directly to the Prime Minister; his activities are subject to oversight by the Sejm (art. 3). Appointment and dismissal require consultation of the President, the College for Special Services (Kolegium do Spraw Służb Specjalnych) and the Sejm Special Services Committee (art. 14).¹

Tasks

The AW obtains, analyses, processes and passes to the competent bodies information that may be of significant importance for the security and international standing of Poland and for its economic and defence potential. It identifies and counters external threats to, among other things, the security, defence and independence of the state (art. 6(1)(1) and (2)).¹

The AW’s tasks also include protecting the Republic of Poland’s missions abroad and their staff against the activities of foreign services, providing cryptographic protection for communications with Polish diplomatic and consular posts and for the diplomatic bag, and conducting electronic intelligence (SIGINT) (art. 6(1)(3), (4) and (8)). The AW carries out these tasks outside Poland; within the country it may act only in connection with its activities abroad (art. 6(2) and (3)).¹

The AW’s tasks further include identifying international terrorism, extremism and organised crime groups, international trafficking in arms, explosives, narcotic drugs, strategic goods and weapons of mass destruction, and identifying and analysing threats in areas of international tension, conflict and crisis (art. 6(1)(5)–(7)).²

AW officers carry out operational and reconnaissance activities and analytical and information activities within these tasks (art. 22); unlike art. 21 for the ABW, this provision does not mention inquiries and investigations.²

Creation

According to the AW, the Agency began operating on 29 June 2002, when civilian intelligence was separated from the UOP, which was being wound up, and became an independent institution reporting to the Prime Minister. Its predecessor was the UOP’s Intelligence Directorate, which from the outset had its own staff, finances, technical resources and instructions, and which in the mid-1990s moved from Rakowiecka Street to Miłobędzka Street.³

The first Head of the AW was Zbigniew Siemiątkowski (2002 – May 2004). The AW website lists the subsequent heads and acting heads, including Andrzej Ananicz, Zbigniew Nowek, Maciej Hunia, Piotr Krawczyk and Bartosz Jarmuszkiewicz; from 19 December 2023 Col. Paweł Szota was acting head, and he was later appointed head (as of 4 November 2026).³

Structure

According to the AW website, the Agency comprises three departments (A, B, C), ten offices (I–X) and a group of independent posts; the head may set up standing and ad hoc teams, collegial bodies and training centres.⁴

Direction, cooperation and oversight

The direction of the AW’s work is set by the Prime Minister in guidelines, and each year by 31 January the Head of the AW submits a report to the Prime Minister (art. 7). Cooperation with foreign services requires the Prime Minister’s consent (art. 8).²

The activities of the Head of the AW are subject to oversight by the Sejm (art. 3(3)); the Sejm Special Services Committee gives its opinion on, among other things, candidates for head and deputy heads and on the annual reports.^2,5

Military intelligence is the responsibility of the SWW, which reports to the Minister of National Defence.⁶

Heritage

The AW publishes material on the history of Polish intelligence, including the Cipher Bureau and the cryptologists who broke Enigma (see Breaking Enigma).^7,8