While the global offshore wind sector is under pressure from rising costs and geopolitical uncertainty, the North Sea countries and the European Commission today adopted the eponymous Declaration in Ostend. Under the Belgian co-chairmanship of Federal Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet, the member states of the North Seas Energy Cooperation reaffirmed their shared ambition to continue developing the North Sea into the heart of a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy supply for Europe.
The North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) brings together nine countries: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom, alongside the European Commission. This cooperation, which celebrates its fifteenth anniversary this year, is the main European platform for regional coordination of offshore energy projects.
“The fact that this consultation is taking place in Ostend, Belgium's offshore hub par excellence, underlines our country's central role in this alliance,” says Mathieu Bihet.
Pressure on the sector calls for action
This new declaration comes at a time when the international energy sector faces major challenges. In the United States, the investment climate for offshore wind is uncertain, while in Europe many turbines and components are manufactured in China. In the North Sea countries themselves, notably France, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and the United Kingdom, tenders are facing unsuccessful bidding rounds or rising costs. Our country is not immune to this pressure.
A reinforced course under the Belgian presidency
This new declaration comes at a time when all North Sea countries face the same challenges: limited space, vulnerable supply chains and the need for a fair distribution of costs and benefits. As co-chair, Belgium wanted this year to put these urgent issues on the table and work towards concrete solutions.
The Ostend Declaration therefore focuses on several priorities:
- The need for predictable and coordinated project planning to ease pressure on the offshore supply chain;
- The development of viable financing models for shared offshore energy infrastructure, so that the burden is fairly shared;
- The countries commit to strengthening their cooperation with transmission system operators, regulatory authorities and the European Investment Bank. In addition, cooperation with the United Kingdom will continue on the basis of the existing memorandum of understanding, and the exchange of tender criteria under the Net Zero Industry Act will be strengthened to boost European innovation and production.
With the Ostend Declaration, the NSEC sends a clear message: regional cooperation is not an end in itself, but a tool to safeguard our energy independence, strengthen our industry and support an affordable energy transition for all.
Ambition and realism
Our country also remains committed to developing offshore wind energy in the Princess Elisabeth zone. As a reminder, following negative opinions, and on the proposal of Minister Bihet, the federal government decided earlier this year to review the planned tender for the first plot in order to strengthen its legal and financial framework. This tender will be relaunched no later than the end of the first quarter of 2026, in the interest of the competitiveness of our businesses and the purchasing power of our citizens. The energy island project has also been revised: investment in the direct current (DC) component has been suspended to manage financial risks, with an estimated saving of €3 billion.
Mathieu Bihet, Minister of Energy: “All North Sea countries face the same challenges. That is why we must not only cooperate, but also dare to make choices - faster, smarter and with a pan-European perspective. If we coordinate our planning, our investments and our ambitions now, we can make the North Sea the beating heart of sustainable and sovereign energy in Europe.”