L-R: Jan Jambon, Belgium Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Security and the Interior; Koen Geens, Belgium Minister of Justice; Etienne Schneider; Félix Braz; Ferdinand Grapperhaus, Dutch Minister of Justice and Security; Credit: Police fédérale

Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Homeland Security Étienne Schneider and Minister of Justice Félix Braz today signed the new Benelux treaty on police cooperation at Egmont Palace in Brussels.

This treaty replaces the Treaty of 8 June 2004, creates a broader framework for police cooperation than the existing instruments and is part of the vision that the Benelux should act as the "European laboratory" for various forms of cooperation.

On 18 November 2016, the competent ministers of Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands signed a political declaration setting out the main objectives in this area, namely strengthening the arrangements for cross-border research and cross-border pursuit and optimising the exchange of information between the prosecuting authorities of the partner countries with due regard to the protection of personal data. At the national level, the Ministry of Homeland Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor General's Office and the Grand Ducal Police collaborated fruitfully on this issue.

The new Benelux Agreement contains innovative provisions in different areas such as cross-border prosecution, special intervention units, escort of persons, secondment of joint liaison officers in the Benelux countries and in third countries, the creation of common police centers, which will not affect the organisation of the current Joint Police and Customs Cooperation Centre (CCPD) in Luxembourg.