London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

UK and the Netherlands vow to help each other keep the lights on

UK and the Netherlands vow to help each other keep the lights on

Pact is the latest sign of post-Brexit closeness between the two countries.

The U.K. and the Netherlands will work together to prevent winter blackouts as Europe braces for the end of Russian gas supplies.

As part of a bilateral deal signed Wednesday, the two countries agreed to cooperate on energy security and ramp up joint work to break their dependence on Russian gas and oil exports.

“Noting our interconnected energy markets and making best use of our shared infrastructure, we will continue regular contact to review winter preparedness and collaborate on security of supply,” the agreement states.

The U.K. and the Netherlands will also work to “identify ways to support the clean energy transition as a long-term solution to end reliance on Russian fossil fuels,” according to the pact.

The deal comes after British officials sought reassurances from several European governments that its energy supplies won’t be interrupted if individual countries experience shortages in winters to come.

The European Commission has invited U.K. officials to discuss energy security this month, amid concerns that the Continent could face blackouts if reserves run low, especially in the 2023-24 winter when Russian gas will no longer be an option.

Germany, Europe’s biggest consumer of gas, has also expressed an interest in reaching a solidarity pact with the U.K. to bail each other out in the event of energy shortages this year.

Liquified natural gas exports from the U.K. to the Netherlands surged during the summer, boosting Dutch natural gas reserves. The two countries are also linked by an electricity inter-connector helping power British homes.

Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in a speech in London that the dependence on “foreign energy and strategic resources” makes both countries “vulnerable.”

“This is why we must work together to jointly reduce these vulnerabilities,” he said. “Although the climate is getting warmer, we could still face some difficult winters.”


Closer ties


The Netherlands has proven a key British ally within the EU in recent years, helping to rebuild ties with London while still making the case for a resolution to the ongoing row over post-Brexit trading rules in Northern Ireland.

It pushed for Britain to be welcomed back into the North Sea Energy Cooperation (NSEC) platform, an intergovernmental organization aimed at developing offshore wind-farms in the North Sea region and speeding up the transition to renewables. The Commission kicked the U.K. out of the group in 2020 despite it not being an EU agency.

The Netherlands has also lobbied in favor of Britain’s application to join the EU military mobility project, led by the Hague, which received the green light of EU foreign affairs and defense ministers Tuesday.

The U.K.’s agreement with the Netherlands is the 15th bilateral deal signed by Britain with an EU member state since Brexit, and it aims to fill gaps in policy areas not covered by the EU-U.K. Trade and Cooperation Agreement where competence remains with national governments.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said this week that the U.K. government is “ensuring that we have good, pragmatic working relations with our European counterparts.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “has been a big driver” for that process, he told the House of Commons European scrutiny committee Tuesday.

Indeed, the deal with the Netherlands also includes long chapters on defense and security cooperation.

Noting the “growing threat arising from hybrid actors and tactics,” the two nations agreed to set up an annual dialogue on cybersecurity, as well as exchanges on Russian disinformation “focused on countering Russia’s false narratives and promoting the values of freedom, democracy and territorial integrity.”

In a further sign of close ties between the U.K. and the Netherlands, both countries’ prime ministers, defense and foreign affairs ministers are set to meet early next year, a Dutch diplomat said, pointing out that it's the first time an EU member country has established such a meeting format with Britain since Brexit.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×