North Sea region countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden) have agreed to further strengthen their energy cooperation.

A political declaration and action plan signed by nine Ministers, Vice-President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič and Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Canete, will also facilitate the building of missing electricity links, allow more trading of energy and further integration of energy markets.

Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said: “Today’s declaration is an important step towards an Energy Union that will deliver the climate commitments we made in Paris last year. Close regional cooperation and pooling together of energy sources will be essential to unlock the full potential of the North Sea resources at the lowest cost.” (Luxembourg, June 2016)

Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said: “Today marks a turning point in cooperation in the North Seas region. We now have a concrete action plan that will deliver results. This strategy will boost interconnection and renewables capacity, help fight climate change and bolster energy security, which are the central goals of the Energy Union” (Luxembourg, June 2016)

This political declaration paves the way for successfully achieving the objectives enclosed in the PROMOTioN project.

For more information:

The text of the political declaration will be available on the website of DG Energy.

It has been welcomed by WindEurope and various national wind energy associations.