Organisation

The multilateral technology initiatives or Implementing Agreements supported by the International Energy Agency (IEA) are a flexible and effective framework for IEA member and non-member countries, businesses, industries, international organisations and non-government organisations to research breakthrough technologies, to fill existing research gaps, to build pilot plants and to carry out deployment or demonstration programmes – in short to encourage technology-related activities that support energy security, economic growth and environmental protection.

There are currently 41 Implementing Agreements working in the areas of:

• Cross-Cutting Activities (information exchange, modelling, technology transfer)
• End-Use (buildings, electricity, industry, transport)
• Fossil Fuels (greenhouse-gas mitigation, supply, transformation)
• Fusion Power (international experiments)
• Renewable Energies and Hydrogen (technologies and deployment)

The Implementing Agreement on Ocean Energy Systems (OES-IA) belongs to the last category above.

For each of these areas there is a Working Party group which acts as the principal advisory body to the IEA Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT). The Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT) is the IEA body that provides leadership by guiding the IAs to shape work programmes that address current energy issues productively, by regularly reviewing their accomplishments, and suggesting reinforced efforts where needed. For further information on the IEA, the CERT and the IAs, can be found here.

The OES Executive Committee (ExCo) is responsible for managing the OES work program. Individual members of the Executive Committee represent their national Contracting Party (the signatory entity). Each contracting party appoints a representative and an alternate representative. The Executive Committee elects a chairperson and one or more vice chairpersons for a period of two years. The OES Secretariate  is responsible for communications between the members of the ExCo, between the ExCo and Operating Agents, and relations between the OES Program and the IEA, governments, international bodies and relevant media. The Operating Agents (OAs) are the central co-ordinators for each of the OES Tasks.