Energised Foreign Policy: Security of Energy Supply as a New Key Objective

In recent years, global energy markets have been characterised by shortages, in particular the oil and gas markets. Due to a strong rise in demand and insufficient supply, which is largely the result of a lack of investment in the oil and gas sectors, it is likely that energy-importing countries and regions (in particular North America, Europe, China, India and Japan/Korea/Taiwan) will have to compete more fiercely to acquire energy. This development is expected to dominate the period covered by this advisory report (until 2025-2030). The competition for energy forms the backdrop against which the security of energy supply, which has hitherto been taken for granted in the Netherlands because of the Groningen gas field, is eroding. In fact, the remaining Dutch natural gas reserves are so limited that the Netherlands will become dependent on imports even before the end of the period covered by this report. At the same time, disruptions to the energy supply (in particular the electricity supply) have demonstrated in recent decades how vulnerable modern society has become. Depending on its size and duration, an energy shortage can seriously disrupt society. It is thus not without reason that many countries designate the security of their energy supply as a key policy priority and often even regard it as a matter of national security. The advisory councils have opted for a broad approach. The analysis of the global energy situation and the relevant geopolitical trends in chapter 2 and the assessment of the energy interest of the Netherlands in chapter 3 reveal that security of energy supply is no longer guaranteed, even in the Netherlands.