Energy

The FPS Foreign Affairs follows multilateral diplomacy in international organisations in charge of energy, either on a primary basis (International Energy Agency, Energy Charter, International Renewable Energy Agency, SE4All) or on a complementary basis (UN, OSCE, NATO and the International Atomic Energy Agency as regards civil consumption). Our FPS is involved in the coordination with the competent federal and regional bodies to determine Belgium's position and strategy (ENOVER/CONCERE consultation group).

Directorate M4 of the Directorate-General for Multilateral Affairs and Globalisation gives priority to the political aspects of energy security and the optimisation strategy. The supply of natural gas to Belgium and the European Union receives special attention.
 

The International Energy Agency (IEA) was established after the 1973 oil boycott as a sister organisation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to protect the interests of oil consuming countries. The IEA requires its members to maintain a stock of oil products that meets average national consumption for 90 days to be used in the event of a crisis. The organisation also carries out studies on the energy policies of its members.

The IEA publishes its annual World Energy Outlook to share its views on energy market developments, particularly on oil and natural gas. A ministerial meeting takes place to establish the main policy guidelines.

The FPS Foreign Affairs ensures that Belgium's external energy policy fits into the general foreign policy framework. For example, the commissions responsible specifically for the IEA's external relations, for example with China and India, are followed by the department.
 

This treaty mainly established the rules for transit and trade on the one hand, and investment protection in the energy sector on the other. It also includes a dispute settlement mechanism. Russia's prolonged period of non-ratification of the treaty undermines its relevance. The Energy Charter Treaty has been modernised since 2020, but Belgium will still have to decide, once all its new governments have been installed after the 2024 elections, whether it will remain in the Treaty or withdraw from it.
 

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is a German initiative supported by the United Arab Emirates. It was officially established in Bonn on 26 January 2009. The agency aims to promote a rapid transition to renewable energy worldwide. To this end, it wants to compile existing knowledge on the subject, provide strategic advice, promote technology transfer, and encourage capacity building and research. Belgium joined IRENA in January 2014.
 

The United Nations' Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative aims to provide universal access to energy for people in developing countries. The key feature of this initiative is that the energy must come from renewable sources, to avoid creating an environmental divide in place of the old industrial divide. Developing countries could be encouraged to reduce their industrialisation gap in a polluting way, while industrialised countries are making the transition to a low-carbon society.