BENELUX
1 – Origin and historical development
The origins of the Benelux partnership date back tot the final phase of WW II and predominantly
focused on economic matters.
1943 Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg concluded an agreement aimed reinforcing
economic relations and facilitating monetary transactions among them.
A fixed exchange rate between the Belgian-Luxembourg Franc and the Dutch
Guilder
Sign of trust and helping each other financially
1944 Customs convention: to stabilize secure and trade relations
1951 B & N were working together with France for the establishment of the European Coal
and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC, 1997).
1958 Establishment of the Benelux Economic Union (BEU): opening of the borders
Own institutions and own policy
Flanking measures for the moving criminals:
Treaty on extradition and judicial cooperation (BET)
Treaty on execution
BACC-treaty: Benelux Administrative and Criminal Cooperation
1974 Benelux Protocol
1986 Agreement about the trans-border cooperation between authorities on each side of the
border
2008 A new Benelux Treaty: they considered it important to continue building their common
vision. The new treaty focuses on 3 general themes:
1) The international market and economic union
2) Sustainable development
3) Justice and home affairs
The Benelux Extradition Treaty (BET) is still highly influential today and illustrates how the Benelux
serves as a model for later forms of cooperation in Europe. Examples:
1) The Benelux Extradition Treaty laid the foundation of the 1974 Benelux Protocol
2) In the 90’s the achievements of Benelux in the area of mutual recognition formed the
building blocks for the Schengen Implementation Convention
It has to be mentioned that the Benelux also deals with aspects of private international law, adopts
measures directed at preserving the environment and has taken initiatives on youth and territorial
cooperation.
2 – Institutional structure and function
1
,1. Benelux secretariat-general
Composition The lifeblood of the Benelux cooperation
60 internationals, managed by a Board of Secretary generals
Secretary-general of the Dutch nationality
Assignments & 2008 Benelux Treaty: duties and tasks
responsibilities Coordinate the administrative tasks that follow from the activities from
the Commission, the Ministerial working groups, the Council and the
Commission’s independent experts
Coordinate the design of the Common Workplan (Agenda)
Make proposals needed for the execution of the Benelux Treaty
Functioning Brussels
A neutral link between the 3 MS governments
3 teams according to the main themes:
1) Market
2) Sustainable development
3) Justice & home affairs: drug traffic, visa issues, fraud, euro control…
2. Benelux Committee of Ministers
Composition At least 1 deputy of the government of each member state / an ad hoc
appointed minister = 3
Ministers of Foreign Affairs, but depending on the issues being
discussed, member states can also send another deputy
Assignments & Take measures to ensure the implementation of the Benelux Treaty and
responsibilities to accomplish the aims set out therein
The most decision-making power: the heart of the Benelux organization
Agreements adopted by the Committee of Ministers are the most
important legal instruments of the Benelux Cooperation
Functioning Convenes once every Presidency
The government of 1 MS can request a meeting in case of urgent
matters or emergency
3. Benelux interparliamentary consultative council – Benelux
Parliament
2
, No decision making power !
Composition Created by the agreement of 5 November 1955
49 members: 21 BE, 21 NL & 7 LUX
Belgian members are elected rom the Federal Chambers of
Parliament and the Regional and Community Parliaments
Dutch members are chosen from the 2 Chambers of the Netherlands
States General
Luxembourg members are elected from the members of the
Chambers of Deputies
Assignments & Advises the Committee of Ministers
responsibilities Formulates opinions at the national governments on issues that relate
to:
1) The formation and functioning of the economic union
2) The cultural approximation
3) The cooperation of the member states on foreign policy
4) The unification of law
Stimulates the cooperation between the member states
Cooperates internationally with supra-regional and supranational
organizations such as the Interregional Parliamentary Council, the
Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly
Functioning Advisory, informative, supporting and stimulating function
Housed in the Palace of Nations in Brussels
Functioning resembles the functioning of a national parliament
Public sessions, as well as the parliamentary acts and documents
4. Other Benelux institutions
Benelux Council Senior civil servants representing the 3 member states
Depending on the issue discussed, the composition may change
Main task: to prepare dossiers for the ministers & make
recommendations
Benelux Court 9 members selected from the judges of the Belgian Cassation Court,
of Justice Dutch Supreme Court and the Luxembourg Supreme Court
Ensure and promote the equal application of Benelux law
3 – Policy
3
, The Benelux was and is the testing ground for the European Union. The founders of the Benelux
were the primary architects of the kind of cooperation and although the EU has taken over many of
the Benelux competences, it would be incorrect to conclude from this that the Benelux had become
irrelevant of redundant. The secretariat has a central role to play. In the field of justice, home
affairs and security, the Benelux has made enormous progress in recent years.
1. Police cooperation
The cornerstone of police cooperation among the Benelux countries is the 2004 Senningen
Treaty on cross-border police intervention.
The groundwork for this form of cooperation and that treaty was laid in the context of the above-
mentioned Senningen consultation concerning police and judicial cooperation. The new treaty on
police cooperation now lays out the rights and duties of officers acting across the border:
horizontal cooperation.
The police operations now concern multiple aspects:
① Agreement regulating the loan of police equipment between forces offers many opportunities
② An essential aspect of the police cooperation is the fact that joint actions, practices and training
courses are organized.
③ The Benelux commenced the joint deployment of liaison officers. The main task of liaison
officers consists of gathering information on particular phenomena of criminality.
In addition the Benelux police cooperation focuses on a number of specific crime types. In these
domains, the Benelux also offers its help amongst others. Overall the efforts to tackle trafficking in
human beings, organized crime, drugs and fraud are most dominant.
① The work to tackle trafficking in human beings, lead to the establishment of a Working Group
on Trafficking in Human Beings with a view to more intensively share knowledge, best
practices, information on developments and trends in trafficking in human beings.
② The prevention and fight against organized crime also requires cross-border approach
including all three governments. It was agreed to organize more joint consultation meetings
between local and administrative authorities to elaborate on common strategies.
③ In the working group on drugs, the priority is to formulate opinions on European drug-related
issues or problems.
④ The fight against fraud has assumed a prominent position in the policy of the Benelux for over
15 years. Today the work on the fight against fraud can be divided into 3 pillars:
1) Fiscal fraud
2) Social fraud
3) Fraud affecting companies
2. Crisis management
In 2006 it was agreed in a Memorandum of understanding that the exchange of information
between crisis centrums is of vital importance in the fight against different types of disasters.
The aim of the network is to exchange knowledge and experiences, and best practices regarding
crisis communication.
4
1 – Origin and historical development
The origins of the Benelux partnership date back tot the final phase of WW II and predominantly
focused on economic matters.
1943 Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg concluded an agreement aimed reinforcing
economic relations and facilitating monetary transactions among them.
A fixed exchange rate between the Belgian-Luxembourg Franc and the Dutch
Guilder
Sign of trust and helping each other financially
1944 Customs convention: to stabilize secure and trade relations
1951 B & N were working together with France for the establishment of the European Coal
and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC, 1997).
1958 Establishment of the Benelux Economic Union (BEU): opening of the borders
Own institutions and own policy
Flanking measures for the moving criminals:
Treaty on extradition and judicial cooperation (BET)
Treaty on execution
BACC-treaty: Benelux Administrative and Criminal Cooperation
1974 Benelux Protocol
1986 Agreement about the trans-border cooperation between authorities on each side of the
border
2008 A new Benelux Treaty: they considered it important to continue building their common
vision. The new treaty focuses on 3 general themes:
1) The international market and economic union
2) Sustainable development
3) Justice and home affairs
The Benelux Extradition Treaty (BET) is still highly influential today and illustrates how the Benelux
serves as a model for later forms of cooperation in Europe. Examples:
1) The Benelux Extradition Treaty laid the foundation of the 1974 Benelux Protocol
2) In the 90’s the achievements of Benelux in the area of mutual recognition formed the
building blocks for the Schengen Implementation Convention
It has to be mentioned that the Benelux also deals with aspects of private international law, adopts
measures directed at preserving the environment and has taken initiatives on youth and territorial
cooperation.
2 – Institutional structure and function
1
,1. Benelux secretariat-general
Composition The lifeblood of the Benelux cooperation
60 internationals, managed by a Board of Secretary generals
Secretary-general of the Dutch nationality
Assignments & 2008 Benelux Treaty: duties and tasks
responsibilities Coordinate the administrative tasks that follow from the activities from
the Commission, the Ministerial working groups, the Council and the
Commission’s independent experts
Coordinate the design of the Common Workplan (Agenda)
Make proposals needed for the execution of the Benelux Treaty
Functioning Brussels
A neutral link between the 3 MS governments
3 teams according to the main themes:
1) Market
2) Sustainable development
3) Justice & home affairs: drug traffic, visa issues, fraud, euro control…
2. Benelux Committee of Ministers
Composition At least 1 deputy of the government of each member state / an ad hoc
appointed minister = 3
Ministers of Foreign Affairs, but depending on the issues being
discussed, member states can also send another deputy
Assignments & Take measures to ensure the implementation of the Benelux Treaty and
responsibilities to accomplish the aims set out therein
The most decision-making power: the heart of the Benelux organization
Agreements adopted by the Committee of Ministers are the most
important legal instruments of the Benelux Cooperation
Functioning Convenes once every Presidency
The government of 1 MS can request a meeting in case of urgent
matters or emergency
3. Benelux interparliamentary consultative council – Benelux
Parliament
2
, No decision making power !
Composition Created by the agreement of 5 November 1955
49 members: 21 BE, 21 NL & 7 LUX
Belgian members are elected rom the Federal Chambers of
Parliament and the Regional and Community Parliaments
Dutch members are chosen from the 2 Chambers of the Netherlands
States General
Luxembourg members are elected from the members of the
Chambers of Deputies
Assignments & Advises the Committee of Ministers
responsibilities Formulates opinions at the national governments on issues that relate
to:
1) The formation and functioning of the economic union
2) The cultural approximation
3) The cooperation of the member states on foreign policy
4) The unification of law
Stimulates the cooperation between the member states
Cooperates internationally with supra-regional and supranational
organizations such as the Interregional Parliamentary Council, the
Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly
Functioning Advisory, informative, supporting and stimulating function
Housed in the Palace of Nations in Brussels
Functioning resembles the functioning of a national parliament
Public sessions, as well as the parliamentary acts and documents
4. Other Benelux institutions
Benelux Council Senior civil servants representing the 3 member states
Depending on the issue discussed, the composition may change
Main task: to prepare dossiers for the ministers & make
recommendations
Benelux Court 9 members selected from the judges of the Belgian Cassation Court,
of Justice Dutch Supreme Court and the Luxembourg Supreme Court
Ensure and promote the equal application of Benelux law
3 – Policy
3
, The Benelux was and is the testing ground for the European Union. The founders of the Benelux
were the primary architects of the kind of cooperation and although the EU has taken over many of
the Benelux competences, it would be incorrect to conclude from this that the Benelux had become
irrelevant of redundant. The secretariat has a central role to play. In the field of justice, home
affairs and security, the Benelux has made enormous progress in recent years.
1. Police cooperation
The cornerstone of police cooperation among the Benelux countries is the 2004 Senningen
Treaty on cross-border police intervention.
The groundwork for this form of cooperation and that treaty was laid in the context of the above-
mentioned Senningen consultation concerning police and judicial cooperation. The new treaty on
police cooperation now lays out the rights and duties of officers acting across the border:
horizontal cooperation.
The police operations now concern multiple aspects:
① Agreement regulating the loan of police equipment between forces offers many opportunities
② An essential aspect of the police cooperation is the fact that joint actions, practices and training
courses are organized.
③ The Benelux commenced the joint deployment of liaison officers. The main task of liaison
officers consists of gathering information on particular phenomena of criminality.
In addition the Benelux police cooperation focuses on a number of specific crime types. In these
domains, the Benelux also offers its help amongst others. Overall the efforts to tackle trafficking in
human beings, organized crime, drugs and fraud are most dominant.
① The work to tackle trafficking in human beings, lead to the establishment of a Working Group
on Trafficking in Human Beings with a view to more intensively share knowledge, best
practices, information on developments and trends in trafficking in human beings.
② The prevention and fight against organized crime also requires cross-border approach
including all three governments. It was agreed to organize more joint consultation meetings
between local and administrative authorities to elaborate on common strategies.
③ In the working group on drugs, the priority is to formulate opinions on European drug-related
issues or problems.
④ The fight against fraud has assumed a prominent position in the policy of the Benelux for over
15 years. Today the work on the fight against fraud can be divided into 3 pillars:
1) Fiscal fraud
2) Social fraud
3) Fraud affecting companies
2. Crisis management
In 2006 it was agreed in a Memorandum of understanding that the exchange of information
between crisis centrums is of vital importance in the fight against different types of disasters.
The aim of the network is to exchange knowledge and experiences, and best practices regarding
crisis communication.
4
