Political dynamics around transboundary gas extraction in the Dutch and German North Sea

Abstract This study focuses on offshore gas in Germany and the Netherlands and zooms into contestations around transboundary gas fields. The author analysed documents, ethnographic data, notes and transcripts from semi-structured interviews with residents, project opponents and German public authorities to answer the research questions: Which political dynamics at various governance levels did unfold around the transboundary marine gas project? Why and how? She developed the ‘Extractive and Natural Seascape Framework’, which helps to pinpoint differences of political motivation and lines of conflict between the two countries, as well as between the hydrocarbon sector and nature conservation sector. This study argues that the ‘extractive seascape’ perspective is firmly anchored in the Netherlands, legitimised by public debate and political compromise. The ‘natural seascape’ perspective in Germany is based on the externalisation of marine gas production to other countries. Although the contestation over the GEMS gas project is a marine user conflict, political dynamics were driven by climate debates. While the ‘extractive seascape’ perspective resulted in gas production from Dutch waters, the ‘natural seascape’ perspective continuously prevents extraction from the German North Sea.