In fact many interviewees stressed that the most important locus
for political supportlay atthe national level in combination with EU
brokerage [147]. Several interviewees pointed to the Dutch presidency
of the Council (of Ministers) in 2016 as perhaps the final
opportunity for a North Sea grid to progress. A high level meeting,
with national cabinet energy ministers, took place in February
2016 under the auspices of the Dutch Presidency [148], yet such
leadership lasts a mere six months. This provided an opportunity
for renewed calls for EU leadership from some MEPs as well
as from lobby groups such as Friends of the Supergrid (FOSG)
and the European Wind Energy Alliance (EWEA) [149].