The SEENSA Initiative

The SEENSA (South Eastern Europe National Security Authorities) Initiative has been created with the purpose of good practices and experience exchange between the National Security Authorities from South Eastern European states, members of the Regional Cooperation Council in the field of classified information protection and regional security development through intensifying the regional cooperation in that area. Members are the National Security Authorities of Albania, Bosna and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hellenic Republic, Kosovo, Moldova, Romania, Republic of North Macedonia, Slovenia, Serbia, Turkey, Croatia and Montenegro as well as members of the Regional Cooperation Council.

The beginning has been established in 2011, in the period between 25-27 of May in “Boyana” residence, Sofia, on the initiative of SCIS and RCC Secretariat, with the support of NATO Security Agency and the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU, the First meeting of the National Security Authorities of the South Eastern European States, members of the Regional Cooperation Council was held on the subject “Regional cooperation in the field of the functioning system for classified information protection – practices and challenges facing the South Eastern European states”.

Member-states representatives exchanged national points of views regarding the level of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the National Security Authorities of the South Eastern European States, with the main focus on the relationship between them and the relationship between them and NATO/EU.

The groundwork targets in the field of classified information protection, established in the creation of SEENSA are as it follows:

The encouragement of the cooperation in South Eastern Europe, especially in support of the candidate states for EU and NATO membership.
The establishment of a thematic working groups and determining their main course of work.
The development and application of methods and common standards in the exchange of classified and other information with limited distribution.
The development of documents, related to classified information protection.
The creation of a network between the National Security Authorities in South East Europe through a secure line of communication.
Carrying out a review in South East Europe, through the RCC Secretariat on initiatives and working groups as far as they concern the competences of the National Security Authorities.

In the period 07-09 of May 2012 in the city of Burdo, Slovenia, the Second Principals meeting of the National Security Authorities of the South Eastern European States, members of the Regional Cooperation Council was held. On the meeting, there were presentations on the following topics: “The role of the agreements for exchange and mutual protection of classified information in the regional cooperation” , “Trainings – national and international” , “Industrial security” , “Concept of regional cyber-defense”. The topics provoked a variety of discussions, which showed the unanimity of the participants that they are of mutual regional interest. As a result it was decided the establishment of thematic working groups on the discussed topics. The groups are as it follows:

Thematic working group “International security agreements”.
Thematic working group “Training”
Thematic working group “Industrial security”
Thematic working group “Cyber-security”

Each group has a lead and supporting National Security Authorities. The other National Security Authorities participate through providing the relevant information on concrete inquiries as well as through joint cooperation initiatives, organized by the relevant Thematic working group. It was agreed that the work of the Thematic working groups will be supported by NATO Security Agency, the General Secretariat of the Council of EU and the Secretariat of the RCC.

Bulgaria, through SCIS, participates as a supporting National Security Authority in all four working groups.

The SEENSA initiative in “Principles” format is held each year, as throughout the years there were meetings on expert level – for exp. an Expert meeting of the National Security Authorities in March 2012 in Sofia for a discussion on a project document “The scope of cooperation in SEENSA format”, expert meeting of the National Security Authorities in Tirana in March 2019 for the discussion on the current results of the SEENSA thematic groups and the vision of the National Security Authorities for future initiative, etc.

SEENSA meetings in “Principles” format, held so far, are nine in total:

2011 in Bulgaria
2012 in Slovenia
2013 in Albania
2014 in Bosnia and Herzegovina
2015 in Republic of North Macedonia
2016 in Montenegro
2017 in Serbia
2018 in Slovenia
2019 in Albania
2020 in Bulgaria

The 11th SEENSA meeting at Principal level in 2021 would be hosted by NSA of Bosnia and Herzegovina.