• On 12 November, 1859, through the High Command Order of Day no.83, it was established the General Staff of the Army which included “the 2 nd Section” , considered to be the first Intelligence Service of the Romanian army;
• In 1882, it was set up within the 2 nd Section , the 2 nd Intelligence Division consisting of three details: counterintelligence, foreign intelligence and domestic intelligence;
• On 17 March 1908 – a new Law of Police was adopted which also provided for the establishment of the Directorate of Police and General Security (DPSG). For the first time regulations were made for conducting intelligence work by means of agents and the use of cover operatives; from 1908 to 1919, the Head of DPSG was Iancu Panaitescu.
• In 1917, it was established the Intelligence and Counterintelligence Service, headed by Romulus P. Voinescu.
• On 22 June 1919, through the Decree – Law for the re-organization of the Ministry of the Interior, it was set up the Directorate of Police and General Security, which included the Service for Security and Foreigners' Control;
• Under Decree no.999 of 13 March 1924, it was established the Superior Council for the Country's Defence, chaired by the King, with responsibilities for adopting basic decisions in the area of national defence;
• In 1924, the Secret Intelligence Service was established which beginning with November 1940 was called the Special Intelligence Service (SSI); several of his heads were Mihail Moruzov (1924-1940) and Eugen Cristescu (12 November 1940 – 23 August 1944);
• Under Decree no. 221 of 30 August 1948, it was created the General Directorate of the People's Security (DGSP) headed by Lt. General Gheorghe Pintilie;
• On 30 March 1951, under Decree no.50, DGSP was transformed into the General Directorate of State’s Security (DGSS); through the same decree, it was set up the Directorate A - Foreign Intelligence.
Later the foreign intelligence activity had various subordinations, such as:
• 1954-1963: The 1-st Directorate reporting to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI);
• 1963: it was established the General Directorate of Foreign Intelligence (DGIE), also reporting to MAI;
• 1968-1972: DGIE was subordinated to the Council of State Security (CSS), a separate body from MAI;
• 1972-1978: The Department of Foreign Intelligence (DIE) functioned within the CSS of the Ministry of the Interior;
• 1978-1989: The Center of Foreign Intelligence (CIE), reporting to the Department of State Security (DSS);
• On 8 February 1990, under Decree no.111, of the Council of the National Salvation Front, the CIE was reorganized (this is the date when the Day of the Foreign Intelligence Service is celebrated);
• On 13 December 1990, Law no.39 provided for the setting up of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE), reporting to the Supreme Council for the Country's Defence (CSAT);
• On 6 January 1998, it was passed Law no.1 on the organization, functioning and activity of SIE, which is still in force at present.
History 