National Security Council (Germany)

Germany's National Security Council (German: Nationaler Sicherheitsrat) is a committee of the Bundeskabinett with the task to make better use of information on security issues collected by various agencies of the German government and to prepare decisions on security related matters. The National Security Council will also take over responsibilities in the field of arms export controls from the Federal Security Council.^[1] The National Security Council was created in August 2025.^[2] The creation of the council was a major campaign pledge by Friedrich Merz in the run up to the general election of February 2025. It is also a reaction to the perception that decision making within Germany's foreign and defense policy institutions is often sluggish and suffers from a lack of coordination between relevant ministries and agencies.^[3]