CPMR North Sea Commission

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.

28/05/2026

📢 The new NSC Presidency has been elected at our Annual Business Meeting today in Lelystad!

NSC President: Elisabet Babic (Region Halland)
NSC Vice President: Helge Stormoen, Bergen FrP (Vestland fylkeskommune)
NSC Vice President Siv Henriette Jacobsen (Østfold fylkeskommune)

Alongside the NSC Secretariat, Nina Knol and Safiya von Amsberg, the Presidency steers the strategic direction of the North Sea Commission. We very much look forward to continuing our work amplifying the voices of on the 🌊

27/05/2026

The day is finally here! Welcome to Lelystad!

Politicians and civil servants from all across our member regions are gathering in Provincie Flevoland for the North Sea Commission's 35th Annual Business Meeting 🇳🇱🌊

Over the next two days, our NSC working groups will come together, we will explore Flevoland’s remarkable maritime sector, and we will collectively shape the future strategy of the North Sea Commission.

A highlight of the programme is our special session on “The North Sea Under Transformation.” Discussions will focus on how we balance the many demands placed on one of the world’s busiest seas as well as how coastal communities remain at the heart of this transition. It is a powerful reminder of why regional cooperation like this matter more than ever.

11/05/2026

❗️REMINDER: last day to register for the NSC Annual Business Meeting!

We are delighted to be hosted by Provincie Flevoland 🇳🇱 for our Annual Business Meeting, this year. Not only is it our 35th ABM and our 100th ExCom, but it is also the 40th birthday of the Province of Flevoland.

We very much look forward to coming together with so many of our members on 27-29 May. An especially huge thank you to Gedeputeerde Jan Klopman for the kind invitation.

Register 👉 https://northseaabm.flevolandevents.nl/page/2185031

04/05/2026

As most of Northern Europe faces a rainy start to the week, we are throwing it back to sunny Bergen. Where, exactly two weeks ago, NSC President Elisabet Babic and BSC President Talvikki Jori were on stage at the prestigious One Ocean Summit.

On a panel with Astrid Bergmål, State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Kestutis Sadauskas, Deputy Director-General of DG MARE, they both spoke on the strengthening cooperation between regions along the coast of the North and Baltic Sea.

Cllr Babic (Region Halland) also underscored how essential it is for coastal regions to have a real voice in shaping and managing our sea basins — especially as spatial squeeze in the North Sea becomes an increasingly pressing challenge.

Bergen was the perfect backdrop for this discussion given the important role that the city has played for centuries in trade, dialogue, and cooperation around the hashtag .

📸: One Ocean Week

01/05/2026

Thank you to all who travelled to Tønsberg for this week’s Energy & Climate Change meeting - and of course to our lovely hosts! With the discussions on climate adaptation shaping the majority of the meeting, we had the chance to discuss many tangible projects taking shape in the North Sea regions, the work that Vestfold fylkeskommune is doing, and look into specific topics and opportunities for cooperation between our members.

The MANABAS COAST project (Interreg North Sea Programme) offered one of the most compelling sessions of the day, showing how nature‑based solutions can reshape coastal resilience. We look forward to keeping in touch as they work to share their policy insights more widely.

We’re also making strong progress on our working group's two‑year action plan, with at least five items expected to be completed by summer. And as energy security becomes an increasingly broad and urgent topic, it’s clear we’ll be returning to it often this year.

👉 Want to take a closer look at the action plan for 2026 - 2028? https://shorturl.at/zMQps

With all in‑person working group meeting dates for 2026 now set, we look forward to the work ahead — and to continuing this momentum together 🌱