A bi-national Defense agreement between Belgium and the Netherlands, signed on 17th of May 1965 (and adapted in August 75) specifies that for both their navies all training in NMCM will be concentrated in the Belgian - Netherlands Naval Mine Warfare School in Oostende (Belgium). As a result, the schools staff, instructors and budgets are now shared between the two nations.

The school endeavors to act as Nato Center of Excellence in Naval Mine Warfare. It is pursuing high quality standards in instruction training techniques through active participation in several NATO Mine Warfare related workgroups. Since the international courses started in 1975, several hundreds of NATO students have passed through the school, thereby forging comradeship and mutual understanding in the difficult domain of Naval Mine Counter Measures. The school now also has courses available for non-NATO students.