Electronic South Eastern Europe - eSEE initiative promotes creation of appropriate institutional environment for building of the information society in alignment with EU guidelines. The goal of this initiatives to coordinate and create possibilities for introduction of information-communication technologies in areas such as business, management, healthcare, and education. Member of eSEE Initiative are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, and Kosovo. eSEE Initiative is supported by international and national organisations such as the European Commission, UNDP, UNECE, USAID, USCDLP, INA Academy, etc.
In 2002, member countries signed the Agenda on the development of the information society in South-East Europe. The Agenda relies on positive experience of eEurope programme and invites its participant to specific actions with the aim to advance organisational, legislation and regulatory environment for development of the information society, as well for its promotion through regional cooperation on the development of services such as electronic public government, electronic learning, etc. The Agenda considers that information society development has an important role in economic development of the region, in its accession to EU and mutual cooperation of the countries in the region. In 2007, eSEE Initiative countries signed the new Agenda, "The eSEE Agenda Plus for the Development of Information Society in SEE 2007-2012", which promotes unique, open and competitive internal ICT market, prioritising innovation and investments into research, development and education and realisation of goals of inclusive e‑Society.
eSEE Initiative acts through quarterly meetings of eSEE Working Group. Representatives of the Central State Administrative Office for e-Croatia regularly participate in these meeting on behalf of the Republic of Croatia.
Initiative for broadband Internet access in SouthEast Europe
Within the framework of eSEE Initiative, ministers of the member countries have signed a number of international documents, governing cooperation and accepting goals and obligations within the regional cooperation, among which is the Memorandum on understanding on the initiative for broadband Internet access in SouthEast Europe (bSEE MoU). The signatories of this Memorandum are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Greece, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia.
The goal of the bSEE Initiative is to align legal and regulatory framework with EU directives and global standards and to develop skills through programmes and joint conferences, seminars, and training programmes related to technologies and broadband Internet services. By signing this Memorandum in July 2005, bSEE Task Force was set up whose task is cooperation among member countries in the area of broadband Internet development.
Members of this Initiative meet on a quarterly basis, including the meetings of
eSEE Working Group. Representative of the Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure and Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency regularly participate in these meeting on behalf of the Republic of Croatia.
Regional Centre for eGovernance development
At 2007 Ministries Conference in Sarajevo, ministers of member countries, besides signing eSEE Agenda Plus, also adopted the Ministries declaration giving support to the establishment of the regional Centre for eGovernance Development. This is the centre established as trust fund in Slovenia, which, besides the management body also has two consultation councils – Programme consultation body and Private sector consultation body. Members of the Programme consultation council are appointed by eSEE initiative member countries among government official or officers who are responsible for development of the information society, i.e. eGovernment and who are included in creation of national policies and coordination of eGovernment national projects.
The Central State Administrative Office for e-Croatia participates in the work of the Regional centre for eGovernance development through the Programme consultation body, whose meetings are held within the meetings of
eSEE Working Group. The first meeting of the Programme consultation body of the regional Centre for eGovernance development was held in Sarajevo on 28 October 2008.
eLeadership Programme
eLeadership programme (eLeadership for the Western Balkans) represents new regional programme related to eGovernance which arose as the result of the joint work of UNDP and the Italian Government within the context of support to eSEE Initiative goals and facilitated implementation of eSEE Agenda Plus.
The basic mission of the programme is to promote the concept of good governance through the use of information-communication technology, responding thereby to key challenges of eSEE Initiative by three 'working packages'':
1. e-administrative capacities– whose goal is to establish eGovernors from the state government. In this direction, a special education programme for training and getting acquainted with the latest accomplishments of the electronic government will be created;
2. e-democracy – focused on rising awareness and understanding on the use of information-communication technology with the government, making it transparent and inclusive, and
3. e-networking – which will provide exchange of best practice examples and will create the platform for the exchange of said experience and innovative solutions.
The key working body of
eLeadership programme are
Regional eGovernance Advisory Taskforce – REGATA, whose task is to coordinate and provide advice in the process of realisation of goals of eLeadership programme and support the realisation of goals of eSEE Agenda Plus. Thereby, representative of eSEE Initiative have been appointed as REGATA members. They held their first meeting in Sarajevo on 28 October 2008.