Energy

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. Since January 2020, the Energy Charter Treaty has been undergoing a process of modernisation which should, among other things, ensure that the Treaty complies with the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement by also protecting investments in renewable energy and preparing for the phasing-out of fossil fuels. 

The International Energy Forum (IEF) is an international platform for high-level policy dialogue. The IEF holds a biennial ministerial meeting. The secretariat issues the Joint Oil Data Initiative in which oil sector data is published to bring more transparency to the market.

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.