Post-Brexit UK joins EU, Norway in new offshore renewables cooperation

The UK has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) presided over by the European Commission (EC) to establish a framework for a new partnership in offshore renewables development.

NSEC is a regional non-binding cooperation framework between Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the EC, the goal of which is to advance the development of offshore renewable energy in the geographical area of the North Seas, including the Irish and Celtic Seas.

The newly-signed pact aims to establish a new relationship between NSEC and the UK, following Brexit. It stipulates that the two sides will create a specific forum for technical discussions on the matter, building on NSEC.

“The MoU specifies that the cooperation covers technical and expert dialogue, information exchange and sharing of best practices. The MoU provides a framework that is distinct yet complementary to NSEC’s own work,” a press statement reads.

The co-presidency of NSEC rotates between the members every 12 months. At the meeting held on Sunday, the energy minister of Ireland, which served as co-president in 2022, handed over the role to the Netherlands.

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