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Samenvatting EIJHA
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European and International Justice, Home Affairs andSecurity Policy.
DEEL I: BENELUX
1. ORIGIN AND HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT.
The origins of the Benelux partnership date back to the final phase of WO2 and predominantly
focused on economic matters.
In 1943 : Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg concluded an agreement aimed at reinforcing
economic relations and facilitating monetary transactions among them. They set a fixed exchange
rate between the Belgian-Luxembourg franc and the Dutch guilder.
Fixed exchange rate = vaste wisselkoers waarbij hun muntheenheid tegen een vaste
onveranderlijke koers wordt gewisseld.
In 1944 there was the opening of the international borders and establishing free movement of goods,
services, capital and persons. These basic principles, were laid down in the 1944 Customs Convention
that entered into force in 1948 and resulted in:
The abolishment of intra-Benelux custom duties.
The establishment of a common import tariff for third countries.
In 1958 : Belgium and the Netherlands were also working together with France for the establishment
of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and for the European Economic Community
(ECC) in 1997.
In 1958 : Benelux had enough experience so they took the next step and established the so-called
Benelux Economic Union (BEU).
This Union had its own institutions and would draw up its own policy and all existing
agreements would now fall within this newly founded institutional framework. Because of
the open borders, criminals could also move countries, so they set up flanking measures.
(aanvullende maatregelen)
In 1962 : Treaty on Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (BET)
(Benelux Extradition Treaty) (Verdrag over de uitlevering en wederzijdse rechtshulp in strafzaken)
Prosecutorial extradition aiming for the transfer of a person with a view to prosecution in a
different country.
Executorial extradition aiming for the transfer of a person with a view (gericht op) to
executing a sentence that was imposed in another member state.
In 1969 : Treaty on the Execution of Judicial Decisions in Criminal Matters
(opgelegde straf, erkenning door andere landen)
BACC- treaty (Benelux Administrative and Criminal Cooperation)
The Benelux Extradition Treaty is still highly influential today and illustrates how the Benelux served
as a model for later forms of cooperation in Europe:
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, The Benelux Extradition Treaty (BET) laid the foundation of the 1974 Benelux Protocol. This
is a document regulating the cross-border hot pursuit (grensoverschrijdende achtervolging)
by police officers and the operation (de werking) of police officers on the territory of another
member state.
In the 1990s the achievements of Benelux in the area of mutual recognition formed the
building blocks for the Schengen Implementation Convention (SIC).
Following the 2 conventions just mentioned, the 1986 agreement deals with trans-border
cooperation between authorities on each side of the border. It has to be mentioned that the Benelux
also deals with 1) aspects of private international law, 2) adopts measures directed at preserving the
environment and 3) has taken initiatives on youth and territorial cooperation.
A new Benelux treaty was signed in 2008 : they considered it important to continue building their
common vision. The main goals set forward of this continued Benelux cooperation are to continue
trying out deepened forms of cross-border cooperation and serving as a testing ground for the EU.
The 2008 Treaty focuses on 3 general themes:
1) The international market and economic union.
2) Sustainable development.
3) Justice and home affairs which are systematically further elaborated on the four-year Action Plans.
2. INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONING.
The institutions within this cooperation structure are: 1) the Benelux Secretariat-General,
2) the Committee of Ministers, 3) the Interparliamentary Consultative Council and 4) the Council
and the Court of Justice.
2.1 THE BENELUX SECRETARIAT-GENERAL.
2.1.1 Composition.
The Benelux Secretariat-General is the lifeblood of the Benelux cooperation. It consists of 60
permanent international officials managed by a Board of Secretary-Generals comprising a Secretary-
General of the Dutch Nationality and 2 Adjunct Secretary-Generals, one from Belgium and one from
Luxembourg. The members of the Board are appointed by the Committee of Ministers for terms of 5
years. They manage the entire agenda.
2.1.2 Tasks and responsibilities.
The 2008 Benelux treaty stipulates (bepaalt) the Secretariat-General’s range of duties and tasks.
The Secretariat-General coordinates the administrative tasks that follow from the activities
from the Commission, the Ministerial Working Groups, the Council and the Commission’s
independent experts.
It coordinates the design of the Common Work Plan (agenda) and draws up an annual plan
for the Benelux Union.
It is responsible for making proposals needed for the execution of the Benelux Treaty.
It draws up the draft budget of all the Benelux institutions.
The Committee of Ministers can also assign additional tasks to the Secretariat-General.
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,2.1.3 Functioning.
The Secretariat-General is located in Brussels and functions as a neutral link between the 3 Member
State governments. For the optimal functioning of the Secretariat, the members are divided into 3
teams according to the main themes of the rejuvenated Benelux Cooperation : 1) Market
2) Sustainable Development and 3) Justice and Home Affairs.
This team deals with the fight against illegal drugs, immigration and visa issues, the fight
against fiscal fraud and the Euro Contrôle Route (ECR) is a cooperation of European
transport enforcement bodies (handhavingsorganen) working together for a safe, fair, social
and environmentally sustainable road transport sector.
To facilitate the work of the Board of Secretary-Generals, support services were installed:
1) The Staff Bureau is responsible for internal and external communication, public relations and
innovation.
2) The Service Corporate Organization is responsible for all issues related to personnel,
financial and legal issues and the internal organization of the Secretary-General.
3) The language service is responsible for the translation and interpreting for the Benelux
institutions.
2.2 THE BENELUX COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS.
2.2.1 Composition.
The Committee of Ministers consists of at least one deputy of the government of each Member
State or an ad hoc (specifiek) appointed minister (Belgium).
The deputies are the Ministers of Foreign affairs of the respective countries but depending
on the issues being discussed, member states can also send another deputy. So 3 in total.
2.2.2 Tasks and responsibilities.
The overall task of the Committee of Ministers is to take measures to ensure the implementation of
the Benelux Treaty and to accomplish the aims set out therein.
The committee is the institution with the most decision-making power. It’s the heart of the
Benelux organisation. It decides by unanimity.
The agreements adopted by the committee of Ministers are the most important legal
instruments of the Benelux cooperation.
2.2.3 Functioning.
The Committee of Ministers convenes once every Presidency (voorzitterschap). In case of urgent
matters or emergency, the government of one Member State can request a meeting. The meetings
do not have a fixed location and the presidency rotates annually between representatives of the 3
Member States.
2.3 BENELUX INTERPARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY.
The Benelux Interparliamentary Assembly (Benelux Parliament) has no decision making power, it’s
odd because the Belgium Parliament has this power, in most of the parliaments there is a decision
making power, but not on an international level. The Parliament was created before the actual
Benelux Treaty was signed.
2.3.1 Composition.
The Benelux Parliament consists of 49 members: 21 Belgian, 21 Dutch and 7 from Luxembourg.
3
, The Belgian members are elected from the federal Chambers of Parliament and the Regional
and Community Parliaments.
The Dutch members are chosen from the 2 chambers of the Netherlands States General.
The Luxembourg members are elected from the members of the Chambers of Deputies.
Within the Benelux Parliament members are seated in groups according political spectrum and
not based on their nationality.
2.3.2 Tasks and responsibilities.
The Parliament advises and formulates opinions directed at the national governments on issues that
closely relate to :
1) Cross-border cooperation at all levels.
2) The formation and functioning of the economic union between the three member states.
3) Sustainable development.
4) Cooperation in the fields of justice and home affairs.
5) The external cooperation of the Member States with third countries in particular the Member
States of the European Union and the regional cooperation partnerships they have.
6) Foreign policy and European matters.
The Benelux Parliament is active in more domains than what can be considered as the tradition
Benelux package of competences. Although the parliament in the Benelux Treaty was integrated into
the Benelux framework, it kept its wider mandate.
The Parliament has an advisory, informative, supporting and stimulating function.
The Parliament informs the governments of the Member States of the discussions and
positions taken in the national Parliamentary Meetings of its members.
By formulating recommendations to the national governments, the Parliament stimulates the
cooperation between the member states but also between member states and Third Countries.
Within the Benelux, these recommendations concern economic, social and financial cooperation.
This can concern all aspects of:
1) Cross-border policy.
2) Advancing the approximation of police forces. (de onderlinge aanpassing)
3) Approximation of law in the 3 Member States. (de harmonisatie)
4) The reinforcement of the position of the 3 Benelux States within the European Union.
The parliament also cooperates internationally with supra-regional and supranational organizations
such as: 1) The Interregional Parliamentary Council, 2) The Nordic Council, 3) The Baltic Assembly.
2.3.3 Functioning.
The parliament meets in turn in the three capitals of the Member States. It has a Secretariat that is
housed in the Palace of Nations in Brussels. The functioning of the Benelux Parliament resembles the
functioning of a national parliament.
The sessions are public, as well as the parliamentary acts and documents.
The debates also happen similarly.
The parliamentary documents are prepared by commissions.
The Permanent Committee is the leading body within the Parliament responsible for the daily
organization of the parliamentary work.
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