Representatives for the Benelux Union, hailed as a regional predecessor of the EU, on Tuesday convened at Senningen Castle in Luxembourg. Since the Grand Duchy currently holds the presidency over the alliance, PM Luc Frieden had invited his Belgian and Dutch counterparts, for both of whom it was their first summit since taking office.
Dutch PM Dick Schoof has been in office since July 2024, while Belgian PM De Wever has only been in office since February, making this meeting his very first international visit as prime minister
Schoof used the opportunity to speak about the historical importance of the Benelux Union, stressing its relevance in the current times of geopolitical uncertainty and underscoring Europe’s need to stand together and cooperate. As a smaller union, the Benelux heeds this call for further cooperation in every domain, with special focus on security, according to Schoof.
After the one-and-a-half hour meeting, Frieden provided insight into the subject matters discussed with the Belgian and Dutch PMs at a press conference. He highlighted security as a domain of cooperation, particularly with regard to collective military production and purchase.
Schoof added that the Benelux alliance will continue its support for Ukraine, considering such support necessary for European security. Furthermore, Belgium’s De Wever emphasised the need for an increase in defence spending, highlighting the economic advantage of collaborating in this regard.
Another domain of cooperation that was addressed during the meeting was transnational law enforcement, as leaders agreed that crime can be tackled more efficiently in the Greater Region through collaboration between each police force. In this regard, the Schengen Agreement was once again highlighted as indispensable, thus receiving praise from all three PMs.
Frieden therefore expressed their shared commitment to the free movement of peoples coupled with the commitment to fight against transnational crime. Still, Frieden also expressed understanding for the recently introduced border controls in Germany to reduce illegal migration, alluding to the supposed threat that illegal immigration poses for social cohesion.
However, De Wever was more explicit in his stance against border controls, stating that he understands temporary border controls, but raising doubt about the effectiveness of these measures against illegal immigration or organised crime. As such, all three PMs agreed that these issues should not be tackled by measures against the internal borders of the EU.
Agreement was also found in economic matters. Schoof highlighted the importance of a well-performing economy as the basis of a stronger Europe. Competitiveness was the keyword during the meeting, as the talks in this regard focused on making Europe more independent.
Frieden thus provided some examples of potential measures that they would support, such as the simplification of regulatory frameworks to ease the bureaucratic burden of EU countries.
Schoof described the three-neighbour alliance as the “door to Europe”, a special position that allows collaboration and offers many advantages. De Wever delved into the history of the Benelux Union as an alliance that arose during a period of war, further remarking on the striking similarities between that historical period and current times, finally asserting that the Benelux Union has once more become relevant as a crisis management tool.
