North Sea Programme
The North Sea is one of the most heavily used seas in the world. On the Dutch Continental Shelf (NCP), diverse interests compete for space: from fisheries and aquaculture to energy production, nature conservation, international shipping, sand extraction, CO₂ storage, and defense operations. An integrated policy is essential for the sustainable, safe, and efficient use of this limited space.
The North Sea Programme is the central government’s steering instrument for the spatial organization of the North Sea and for achieving good environmental status in one of the world’s most intensively used seas. Its core task is to strike the right societal balance regarding the spatial development of the North Sea. Such development must be efficient and safe, while remaining within the parameters of a healthy ecosystem.
The programme outlines policies for strengthening the ecosystem and for the transitions towards sustainable food and energy supplies. It also serves as the instrument through which the government designates offshore wind energy zones. Furthermore, it details policies concerning maritime shipping, sand extraction, digital connectivity, national security, underwater cultural heritage, recreation, and the provision of meteorological information.
The programme employs assessment frameworks to manage scarce marine space carefully and to provide guidance for increasingly complex balancing of interests during the permitting process. Efficient, multi-use spatial planning and an area-based approach are central to this: not everything can take place everywhere. Where multifunctional use is not feasible, a clear separation of functions—capable of being enforced—is required, based on a transparent weighing of competing interests. Additionally, the North Sea Programme describes the management activities carried out by Rijkswaterstaat. Finally, it addresses land-sea interactions, outlines objectives and initiatives regarding knowledge and monitoring in the North Sea, and summarizes the actions to be implemented during the policy period.
The Marine Strategy Part 3 (programme of measures) serves as an annex to the North Sea Programme. To achieve good environmental status for the descriptors regarding biodiversity, seafloor integrity, marine litter, and underwater noise, additional measures have been defined—in addition to those already in place. Furthermore, the North Sea Programme serves as a standalone annex to the National Water Programme (in Dutch).
