Student symposium on the North Sea Agreement

"Three major transitions are currently taking place on the North Sea, that form the heart of the challenge for the North Sea: the nature transition, the food transition and the energy transition." The North Sea Agreement focuses on these three crucial transitions that are intricately linked.

The symposium begins with an introduction to the North Sea Agreement by dr. Nikolaos Giannopoulos. He is Assistant Professor in International and European Environmental Law at Utrecht University, in which role he conducts research on the legal and regulatory issues relating to the energy transition.

Three experts will then share their perspectives on the North Sea Agreement from ecology, fisheries and the energy sector:

• Kees Stiggelbout, Policy Advisor at the Netherlands Wind Energy Association (NWEA), will first present the Dutch ambitions and plans relating to offshore wind energy and discuss some of the challenges facing the wind energy sector.
• The North Sea Foundation is an organisation dedicated to the protection of the North Sea as a natural entity. Pim Somers will explain how the North Sea nature is affected by the sea’s various uses, how the interests of nature are represented in the North Sea Agreement and what scope of improvement exists as regards nature protection.
• Last but definitely not least, Amerik Schuitemaker, who is a specialist in the area of marine ecology and fisheries working at the Dutch Fishermen’s Association (Nederlandse Vissersbond), will explain how the interests of the fisheries sector feature in the North Sea Agreement and how this could be improved.

After the presentations, we will interactively explore the various challenges and opportunities that result from the interwoven nature of these transitions. This hands-on session aims to increase our knowledge on the North Sea Agreement, foster collaboration with students from diverse disciplines and generate innovative insights. If you’re passionate about marine sciences and policy, this event is for you! Please sign up for this symposium using the registration link below.