Benelux Treaty of Economic Union

Belgium-Luxembourg-Netherlands [1958]

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June 22, 2026

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The Benelux Treaty of Economic Union, signed in 1958 and operative in 1960, established an economic union between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Its primary goal was complete economic integration, ensuring the free movement of people, goods, capital, and services. The union also aimed for coordinated economic, financial, and social policies, along with a unified approach to foreign trade.1

This treaty built upon earlier agreements, including a bilateral economic union between Belgium and Luxembourg formed in 1921 and a customs union for all three countries that began in 1948. The Benelux Economic Union became the first fully free international labor market and facilitated the free movement of capital and services. It served as an early model for broader European economic integration, influencing the development of organizations like the European Economic Community (EEC), now the European Union.12

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international trade
The Benelux Economic Union
…their own integration in the Benelux Treaty of Economic Union signed at The Hague on February 3, 1958. The Hague treaty, however, contained little that was new, and in outline form it was no more than the codification of results already achieved.
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…their own integration in the Benelux Treaty of Economic Union signed at The Hague on February 3, 1958. The Hague treaty, however, contained little that was new, and in outline form it was no more than the codification of results already achieved.
Read More