Benelux, police cooperation, Safety
Crisis centres of the Benelux countries sign renewed agreement on cooperation in emergency situations
12 Nov. 2026
The crisis centres of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg will strengthen their cooperation in cross-border emergency situations. To this end, the officials responsible for the three national crisis centres signed a renewed cooperation agreement at the House of the Benelux. The agreement makes it possible to deploy a liaison officer to one of the partner countries during a crisis. This will enable faster information exchange and better coordination of crisis response efforts. Benelux Secretary-General Ariadne Petridis also attended the signing ceremony.
A major fire, flood or hazardous materials incident can have consequences on both sides of a border. In such situations, it is essential not only to share information quickly, but also to have a clear understanding of each other’s procedures and crisis management approaches.
The liaison officer acts as a direct link between the national crisis centres. They monitor the crisis response in the host country and facilitate the exchange and interpretation of information between the relevant authorities. This helps prevent misunderstandings and improves coordination between the countries.
Clearer arrangements and joint exercises
The renewed agreement updates the provisions introduced in 2016 and makes the cooperation more concrete. It sets out the requirements that liaison officers must meet, defines their responsibilities and describes how deployments will be organised in practice. In addition, it allows correspondents to participate as observers in each other’s crisis management exercises. This gives the crisis centres greater insight into one another’s working methods, even before an emergency occurs.
Twenty years of cooperation
The agreement builds on the Memorandum of Understanding concluded by Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 2006. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of that text, which forms the foundation of cooperation in cross-border crisis management. The new provisions make this cooperation even more practical and operational.
Cooperation between the crisis centres is part of the broader Benelux approach to security. Cross-border police cooperation is also an important component of this framework.
