Everything about The Benelux totally explained
The
Benelux is an economic union in
Western Europe that includes three neighboring
monarchies,
Belgium, the
Netherlands, and
Luxembourg (
België/Belgique/Belgien - Nederland - Lëtzebuerg/Luxembourg/Luxemburg), which lie in the north western European region between
France and
Germany. The name is formed from the beginning of each country's name; it was possibly created for the Benelux Customs Union, although according to
The Economist it was coined somewhat earlier, in August 1946, by that newspaper's correspondent in Belgium. However, it's now used in a more generic way. The Benelux region has a total population of about 27,562,217 and occupies an area of approximately 74,640 km² (28,819 sq mi). Thus, the Benelux has a population density of 369/km² (956/sq mi).
History
The treaty establishing the
Benelux Customs Union was signed on
September 5,
1944, by the
governments in exile of the three countries in
London, and entered into force in 1948. It ceased to exist on November 1, 1960, when it was replaced by the
Benelux Economic Union after a treaty signed in
The Hague on February 3, 1958. It was preceded by the (still existent)
Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union, established on
July 25,
1921.
Its founding contributed to the founding of the
European Union (EU), though the immediate precursors to the EU were founded later (the
ECSC in 1951 and the
EEC in 1957). The three countries were also founding members of these organizations, together with
West Germany,
France, and
Italy. Article 306 of the
EC Treaty stipulates that
The provisions of this Treaty shan't preclude the existence or completion of regional unions between Belgium and Luxembourg, or between Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, to the extent that the objectives of these regional unions are not attained by application of this Treaty.
Politics
A
Benelux Parliament (originally referred to as
Interparliamentary Consultative Council) was created in 1955. This
parliamentary assembly is composed of 21 members of the Dutch parliament, 21 members of the Belgian national and regional parliaments, and 7 members of the Luxembourgish parliament.
The treaty establishing the
Benelux Economic Union (
Benelux Economische Unie/Union Économique Benelux) was signed
February 3,
1958 and came into force in 1960 to promote the free movement of
workers,
capital,
services, and
goods in the region. Its secretariat-general is located in
Brussels. The unification of the law of the three Benelux countries is mainly achieved by regulations of its Council of Ministers, that only bind the three states, but are not directly applicable in their internal legal orders. There is also a large number of Benelux conventions in a wide range of subject matters.
Law
In 1965, the treaty establishing a
Benelux Court of Justice was signed. It entered into force in 1975. The Court, composed of judges from the highest courts of the three States, has to guarantee the uniform interpretation of common legal rules. This
international judicial institution is located in Brussels.
The Benelux is particularly active in the field of
intellectual property. The three countries established a
Benelux Trademarks Office and a
Benelux Designs Office, both situated in
The Hague. In 2005, they concluded a treaty establishing a
Benelux Organisation for Intellectual Property which replaced both offices upon its entry into force on September 1, 2006.
Geography, Demographics and Languages
Dutch and
French are the official languages of the Benelux and its institutions. Out of the total of 27.2 million people living in the member states 22.5 million (83 percent) speak Dutch and 3.9 million (14 percent) speak French, of whom 3.4 million are Walloons and 0.5 million are Luxembourgians (the latter also speaking German and
Luxembourgish), whereas 3% is bilingual Dutch-French (inhabitants of Brussels Capital Region, appr. 1 million). Although it isn't an official language of the Benelux and its institutions, Belgium and Luxembourg recognise
German as one of the official national languages. In fact, there's a small German speaking community in Belgium seated in and around the town of
Eupen. (See
German-speaking Community of Belgium)
Sports
In 2000, Belgium and the Netherlands jointly hosted the
UEFA European Championship. In June 2007, representatives of the three countries announced they'd bid, as a single political entity, for the
2018 FIFA World Cup.
Future
The treaty establishing the Benelux Economic Union will expire in 2010. It will probably be replaced by a new legal framework, taking into account the evolutions since the 1950s, both within the three member states and concerning European integration.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Benelux'.
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