Cooperation between the North Sea countries

The countries surrounding the North Sea all manage their own part of the North Sea. In doing so, they generally share the same interests. The sea and living nature are not bound by borders. Therefore, the North Sea countries must coordinate their policies, management, and use effectively, within global and European frameworks. Furthermore, it is of added value for these countries to seek broader cooperation, share knowledge, develop a common vision on North Sea policy, and jointly develop indicators for cross-border monitoring of the North Sea system.

Greater North Sea Basin Initiative (GNSBI)

Activities at sea are deeply interconnected: decisions made in one sector or country can have far-reaching positive or negative impacts on other sectors, neighboring nations, and the overall ecological balance of the North Sea. Achieving our shared ambitions for the North Sea requires a cross-sectoral and international approach.

To address this complexity, the Greater North Sea Basin Initiative (GNSBI) was established in 2023 with all nine countries bordering the Greater North Sea basin: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

This initiative, supported by the European Commission, provides a regional platform for the integrated and coordinated use of the sea, bringing together stakeholders across sectors and national boundaries.

GNSBI works to improve the alignment of maritime spatial planning, strengthen and streamline management processes, and enhance coordination between sectoral interests. By fostering collaboration at the basin level, the initiative aims to enable the optimal and sustainable use of our shared sea while protecting and improving the marine ecosystem of the Greater North Sea.

North Seas Energy Cooperation

At the highest political level, the North Sea countries periodically organize and hold official-prepared North Sea Ministers' Conference meetings on North Sea affairs. Within the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC), the Netherlands collaborates with Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, and the European Commission to facilitate the offshore energy transition in the North Sea, including through a three-year work programme, which is implemented in various international working groups.

Spatial planning and ecology are permanent focus areas for consultation and cooperation. The Bonn Convention, for example, concerns the protection of migratory species, and the Bonn Agreement concerns cooperation in combating environmental pollution (oil) resulting from incidents and calamities.

The North Sea countries jointly implement the EU Maritime Spatial Planning Directive across borders. This takes place within the North Sea Region Maritime Spatial Planning Platform.

OSPAR, ASCOBANS and AEWA

The Oslo-Paris Convention (OSPAR) protects the marine environment throughout the Northeast Atlantic region. In practice, this is largely achieved through the national implementation of the obligations of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Two agreements have been concluded in the region for the protection of small cetaceans and migratory waterbirds. The first, ASCOBANS, protects small cetaceans in the Baltic Sea, the Northeast Atlantic, the Irish Sea, and the North Sea. The second, AEWA, aims to maintain or restore a favourable conservation status for waterbirds migrating between Africa and Europe.

Bonn and Bern Conventions and the Espoo Convention

Trilaterally, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany have concluded the Wadden Sea Seal Agreement under the global Bonn Convention.

The Bern Convention has a broader objective, having been concluded to conserve all wild animal and plant species and their natural habitats in all European marine waters.

Finally, the Espoo Convention obliges coastal states in the North Atlantic region to exchange environmental impact assessments for transboundary activities and/or their potential effects. The convention also provides provisions to prevent the shifting of those effects.