Historical Development and Renewal:
– Benelux Customs Union established in 1948
– Treaty for Benelux Economic Union signed in 1958
– Schengen process initiated by Benelux partners in 1985
– Benelux Court of Justice treaty signed in 1965
– New legal framework signed in 2008, changing the name to Benelux Union
– Focus on broader cooperation including security, internal market, sustainability, justice, and internal affairs
Institutions and Structure:
– Main institutions include Committee of Ministers and Council of the Union
– Benelux General Secretariat in Brussels
– Presidency rotates among Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg
– Benelux Court of Justice ensures uniform interpretation of legal rules
– Secretary-General and two deputies manage daily operations
Economic Impact and Demographics:
– Benelux region has 5.6% of European population
– Accounts for 7.9% of joint EU GDP
– 37% of EU cross-border workers in Benelux in 2015
– Significant daily cross-border workforce between member states
– About 80% of Benelux population speaks Dutch
Cooperation with Other Geopolitical Regions:
– Collaboration in the Pentalateral Energy Forum with France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
– Cooperation in the Digital Single Market involving Benelux, the Baltic Assembly, and members of the Nordic Council
– Partnership with the German Land North Rhine-Westphalia since 2008
– Declaration signed in 2018 with France to enhance cross-border cooperation
Achievements and Focus Areas:
– Benelux countries collaborate on climate change adaptation
– Emphasis on prioritizing cycling in European climate policy
– Initiatives include diploma recognition, road inspections, and police cooperation
– Benelux Union supports cooperation in economy, sustainability, and security
– Benelux milestones include the 60th anniversary of the Benelux Treaty in 2018, establishment of the Benelux Youth Parliament in 2018, and various summits and declarations for enhanced cooperation.
The Benelux Union (Dutch: Benelux Unie; French: Union Benelux; Luxembourgish: Benelux-Unioun) or Benelux is a politico-economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighbouring states in western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The name is a portmanteau formed from joining the first few letters of each country's name and was first used to name the customs agreement that initiated the union (signed in 1944). It is now used more generally to refer to the geographic, economic, and cultural grouping of the three countries.
Benelux Union | |
|---|---|
 Logo of the Benelux | |
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Member states of the Benelux Union
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| Administrative centre and largest agglomeration | Brussels 50°51′N 4°21′E / 50.850°N 4.350°E |
| Official languages | |
| Type | Politico-economic union |
| Member states | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Establishment | |
• Customs union treaty signed | 5 September 1944 |
• Customs union in effect | 1 January 1948 |
• Renewal signed | 17 June 2008 |
• Renewal in effect | 1 January 2010 |
| Area | |
• Total | 75,140 km2 (29,010 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate |  29,200,564 |
• Density | 400/km2 (1,036.0/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2021 estimate |
• Total | €1.431 trillion |
• Per capita | €47,700 |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Driving side | right |
Website benelux | |
The Benelux is an economically dynamic and densely populated region, with 5.6% of the European population (29.55 million residents) and 7.9% of the joint EU GDP (€36,000/resident) on 1.7% of the whole surface of the EU. In 2015, 37% of the total number of EU cross-border workers worked in the Benelux. 35,000 Belgian citizens work in Luxembourg, while 37,000 Belgian citizens cross the border to work in the Netherlands each day. In addition, 12,000 Dutch and close to a thousand Luxembourg residents work in Belgium.[citation needed]
The main institutions of the Union are the Committee of Ministers, the Council of the Union, the General Secretariat, the Interparliamentary Consultative Council and the Benelux Court of Justice while the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property covers the same land but is not part of the Benelux Union.
The Benelux General Secretariat is located in Brussels. It is the central platform of the Benelux Union cooperation. It handles the secretariat of the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Benelux Union and the sundry committees and working parties. The General Secretariat provides day-to-day support for the Benelux cooperation on the substantive, procedural, diplomatic and logistical levels. The Secretary-General is Frans Weekers from the Netherlands and there are two deputies: Deputy Secretary-General Michel-Etienne Tilemans from Belgium and Deputy Secretary-General Jean-Claude Meyer from Luxembourg.
The presidency of the Benelux is held in turn by the three countries for a period of one year. Belgium holds the presidency for 2024.
About 80% of the Benelux population speaks Dutch.
