Benelux, schengen
40 years of Schengen – The Benelux as the cradle and driving force of European cooperation
14 Jun. 2025
Today, Europe celebrates the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen Agreement, a historic milestone symbolizing the free movement of people within the European Union. What began on the banks of the Moselle River, in the Luxembourgish village of Schengen on 14 June 1985, has grown into one of the most tangible achievements of European integration. The Benelux – Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg – played a crucial role in this process and continues to embody the same spirit of cross-border cooperation to this day.
The Benelux as a testing ground for Schengen
With its early treaties and intensive cooperation in economic matters, the Benelux served as a model for what would later become the Schengen Agreement. As early as 1958, the three countries took steps towards integration, strengthened by the Benelux Agreement on the free movement of persons signed in 1960. This enabled a gradual opening of borders in the region and promoted the free movement of people, goods, capital, and services. This early experience, built on mutual trust, gave the Benelux the authority and legitimacy to help launch the Schengen initiative.
It is therefore no surprise that the original Schengen Agreement was signed on 14 June 1985 aboard a ship on the Moselle, by the Benelux countries along with France and Germany. The symbolic power of this location underscored the European ambition to transcend physical borders in order to facilitate human exchange. This agreement laid the foundation for the later abolition of internal border controls within the EU, which became a reality in 1995.
Benelux today: a facilitator of pragmatic cooperation
Forty years later, Benelux cooperation continues to reflect the founding values of the Schengen Agreement. The three countries pursue their collaboration in a practical and constructive spirit, developing projects in the areas of security, economy, and sustainability. In an ever-evolving context, this regional cooperation remains a source of inspiration for European policy and demonstrates the added value of concrete initiatives tailored to local realities.
A forward-looking Benelux partnership
What began forty years ago as a pragmatic project between five countries continues to thrive within a much broader European area. Yet the spirit born in Schengen – based on trust, dialogue, and the search for shared solutions – remains alive in the Benelux cooperation. This region demonstrates that European integration is not a fixed endpoint, but a continuous process driven by the needs of citizens. The future of Schengen cannot be envisioned without the pioneering spirit that the Benelux has embodied for more than eighty years.
© SIP / Claude Piscitelli
