CPMR North Sea Commission

15/09/2026

Last week, the North Sea Commission's Marine Resources Group gathered in Agder (Agder fylkeskommune 🇳🇴), for a packed programme of study visits and discussions on the future of our marine and coastal regions.

Key takeaways included:
🌊 The importance of long-term planning and international cooperation to unlock the full potential of offshore wind development in the North Sea. Discussions with Windport highlighted the need for predictability and coordinated Marine Spatial Planning to support future investments.

🐟 Food security remains a central issue. Visits focused on local fisheries, seafood production, and aquaculture demonstrated the vital role of sustainable marine industries in securing high-quality food production and resilient coastal communities.

💡 Innovation and skills are essential for the blue economy. From workforce development initiatives to cutting-edge aquaculture research and autonomous coastal mapping technologies, we saw how investment in blue skills and R&D is driving sustainable growth.

🤝 During the Working Group meeting, members continued discussions launched in Lelystad on Marine Spatial Planning, innovative fisheries techniques, energy transition, food security, circular value chains, and blue skills. A world café session helped identify priorities for future collaboration, including a dedicated MSP session and a joint webinar on supporting the energy transition.

A huge thank you to our hosts and all participants for an inspiring and productive week!

17/08/2026

As our members trickle back to their full inboxes, we would like to take a second and remind everyone of the many meetings we have scheduled for this fall.

📅 Read through the last page of the June newsletter (below) to see an overview

Please note that registration has been sent out for both the Marine Resources Working Group meeting (hosted by Agder fylkeskommune) and the Smart Regions Working Group meeting (hosted by Møre og Romsdal fylkeskommune).

And if you have any questions, reach out to the NSC Secretariat (as we are officially back in office now) 📩

24/06/2026

The NSC Newsletter (June 2026 edition) is out! 📩

Either find it in your inbox, or take a look at the newsletter on the website ➡️ https://cpmr-northsea.org/download/nsc-newsletter-june-2026/?wpdmdl=4944&ind=1782244586787

Make sure to scroll to the end to see the all the upcoming NSC meetings that have been planned - including a webinar on happening this very afternoon!

17/06/2026

Last week the NSC Secretariat were in Brussels for European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW).

With the North Sea increasingly framed as 'Europe’s energy engine', offshore wind remains a major priority for the North Sea Commission. Both Nina Knol and Safiya von Amsberg joined the panel at an event hosted by Vest-Norges Brusselkontor / West Norway Office, Stavanger Region European Office, and Clean Flow Energy on the ambitious goal set by Europe for 300 GW of offshore wind by 2050, with one third to be delivered through cross‑border cooperation. A big thank‑you to the organisers for an insightful and timely discussion.

The North Sea basin will be central to achieving this. By working together, North Sea regions can make a decisive contribution to Europe’s energy transition while creating new industrial opportunities and long‑term benefits for coastal communities across the region.

The North Sea Commission will be continuing this discussion with a thematic webinar on the regional dimensions of offshore wind connection.

📅 24 June (13:00 - 14:30 CET)

Drawing on experience from across the North Sea, this webinar will ask how regions can best tackle both the regulatory and infrastructural challenges arising when energy produced in the North Sea is brought ashore. It will feature knowledge exchange and discussion on how different North Sea regions approach these connection challenges, highlighting a variety of solutions and experiences.
➡️ Want to attend? Reach out to the NSC Secretariat to get the invite

12/06/2026

It was a pleasure to participate in the Greater North Sea Basin Initiative ( ) Stakeholder Conference. Vice President Siv Henriette Jacobsen, spoke on the panel on the stakeholder perspectives on behalf of the North Sea Commission.

Together with our good friend Christian Byrith from the Interreg North Sea Programme, it was a great opportunity to look back at our shared history — including a project from the early 2000s that actually gave rise to the North Sea Advisory Council, which remains active today and is now a key stakeholder for the GNSBI.

The ambition of the GNSBI, to move towards a more integrated, holistic approach to managing the North Sea, aligns closely with how we already operate in practice. For the North Sea Commission, the GNSBI represents a chance to scale up and connect existing regional cooperation to the sea‑basin level.

As we are now formally an observer to the GNSBI, we look forward to deepening this collaboration. There is real potential to ensure that land–sea interaction is systematically integrated into planning and decision‑making ...and, of course, that regional authorities are involved early in these discussions.

08/06/2026

As European Sustainable Energy Week kicks off, we look back at a session on the North Sea Under Transformation at our Annual Business Meeting just recently.

As Chair of the NSC Energy & Climate Change Working Group, Cllr Erlend Jordal(Rogaland fylkeskommune) moderated an engaging discussion with Davide Strangis and Juul Kusters. He explored the implications of the Hamburg Declaration and what its ambition means for North Sea regions, because national commitments - however welcome - do still mean regional and local implementation. With the North Sea being one of the busiest seas in the world, the interplay between cross-border marine spatial planning and sustainable energy deployment is more important than ever.

Offshore wind offers enormous potential, but it also brings complexity, and requires careful coordination, balanced use of space, and strong cooperation across borders. Our work on offshore wind is far from done. In fact, it is just beginning.

➡️This afternoon the NSC Secretariat will be speaking at an event on 'The North Sea as a Power Hub for Clean and Secure Energy in Europe' (read more: https://errin.eu/events/north-sea-power-hub-clean-and-secure-energy-europe)
➡️On 24 June there will also be a webinar open to all our member regions on the Regional Dimensions of Offshore Wind Connection. Interested in attending? Message the NSC Secretariat to receive the invite.

04/06/2026

03/06/2026

Last week, our Marine Resources Working Group held a (short) meeting. Hosted by the Working Group's own Vice Chair Jan Klopman, this was an opportunity to further discuss plans for the remainder of 2026 and learn more about the innovative and sustainable fishing industry in Provincie Flevoland.

During the meeting, discussions revolved around three key topics:

🌊Blue skills & workforce development remains an important shared priority🌊
Regions highlighted challenges related to recruitment, training capacity, apprenticeships, and retaining young talent in fisheries, aquaculture, and other blue economy sectors. Ongoing initiatives (such as work on an Erasmus+ proposal) aimed at strengthening maritime education and building future workforce resilience were also discussed.

🌊Balancing economic development, environmental protection, and competing uses of marine space remains a major challenge🌊
Discussions underscored increasing pressure on sea space from fisheries, offshore wind, nature conservation, shipping, and other maritime activities. Regions emphasised the need for integrated maritime spatial planning and cross-border cooperation to manage these competing interests effectively.

🌊Food security, sustainable fisheries, and aquaculture innovation are interconnected🌊
Not only are these policy areas interconnected but they are becoming increasingly interconnected. Participants stressed the strategic importance of seafood production for European food security while highlighting the need for innovation in aquaculture, diversification of species, nutrient management, and sustainable fisheries practices to ensure long-term resilience and growth.

Stay tuned, because NSC Vice President Siv Henriette Jacobsen will take the floor tomorrow during the Greater North Sea Basin Initiative's (GNSBI) first stakeholder conference!

01/06/2026

🌊 The North Sea Commission adopts the 2026 Final Declaration in Lelystad

On 28 May, during our Annual Business Meeting in Lelystad, NSC members officially adopted the 2026 Final Declaration which sets out our shared priorities for a productive, resilient, sustainable, and well‑connected Region.

The declaration reflects the collective work of our member regions on key themes such as the , cooperation, adaptation, and the future of . It also reinforces the importance of strong regional voices in shaping Europe’s approach to the North Sea.

Thank you to Provincie Flevoland for hosting this year’s ABM and to all delegates for their commitment and collaboration.

📄 Read the full declaration here: https://cpmr-northsea.org/download/nsc-final-declaration-2026/

📸 Daniel Sylla

01/06/2026

We were thrilled to welcome around 90 members of the North Sea Commission to the city of Lelystad last week, where Provincie Flevoland hosted our 35th Annual Business Meeting.

A heartfelt thank‑you to our wonderful hosts. This ABM was especially meaningful — not only did we mark our 35th ABM and our 100th Executive Committee meeting, but we also had the chance to celebrate 40 years of the Province of Flevoland together! 🎉

Gedeputeerde Jan Klopman, King's Commissioner Arjen Gerritsen, and the entire organisation team put together an excellent programme that truly showcased the region's thriving marine industry and port. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this such a successful and memorable set of meetings.