The declarations signed at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg, to foster offshore energy cooperation, represent “Europe’s path to true independence”, EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen (pictured) has said.
Commissioner Jørgensen was commenting as representatives from Germany, the UK, France, Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and Norway agreed to strengthen collaboration on offshore energy projects, to secure and strengthen Europe‘s energy landscape.
Among the declarations signed at the summit were a Leaders’ Declaration on building a North Sea power hub for a resilient and competitive Europe; a Joint Offshore Wind Investment Pact for the North Sea to strengthen energy security, competitiveness and decarbonisation; and a Ministerial Declaration on closer coordination to accelerate offshore wind and hydrogen projects, including through better cross-border planning and financing.
‘Strong and united’
‘In these turbulent geopolitical times, Europe must stand strong and united – and choose independence,” Jørgensen added. “That means doubling down on clean, safe, home-grown energy.
“It means building on our natural strengths, and few are greater than the North Sea and its vast offshore wind potential. It means strengthening our interconnections so that affordable energy can flow freely across our continent. And it means securing our industrial leadership while guaranteeing our security.”
Close coordination
At the summit, leaders pledged to coordinate closely on the planning, cost-sharing and financing of cross-border offshore projects in the North Sea, in the process ensuring Europe becomes less dependent on fossil fuel imports.
The declarations signed at the summit ‘reinforce the ambition’ of European Grids Package that was presented in December 2025, the Commission noted, which focused on grid planning, permitting processes, and cost and benefit sharing for infrastructure.
Commenting on the UK‘s role in the North Sea agreement, British energy secretary Ed Miliband said, “We are standing up for our national interest by driving for clean energy, which can get the UK off the fossil fuel rollercoaster and give us energy sovereignty and abundance.
“After our record renewables auction, we today went further by signing a clean energy security pact with European allies to ensure we maximise the clean energy potential for the North Sea.”
Elsewhere, Ireland‘s minister for climate, energy and the environment, Darragh O’Brien, said that the event “underscored the importance of regional cooperation to develop offshore wind capacity in the North Seas region.”
Timing is everything
Commenting on the agreement, Clémence Dubois, 350.org global campaign manager, said that the timing was notable, coming less than a week after US president Donald Trump derided Europe’s wind energy commitments.
“The Trump administration may be doing everything it can to keep the fossil fuel ‘rollercoaster’ going, but people are no longer buying tickets,” she commented. “Some European political leaders are beginning to recognise that energy security and economic stability won’t come from oil and gas, but rather, a renewable energy system that can lower electricity bills and can’t be switched off by dictators or disrupted by global conflicts.
“This isn’t just about switching energy sources – it’s about ending a rigged system where fossil fuel companies pocket the profits and the public picks up the bill through higher energy costs, climate disasters, and government handouts.” Read more here, here and here.
