On November 5, 2025, the Benelux Interparliamentary Assembly, better known as the Benelux Parliament, celebrated its seventieth anniversary. This was commemorated with an academic session in the Belgian Senate. The event included a historical review and two panel discussions. The first focused on the Benelux Parliament in motion with René Cuperus from the Clingendael Institute and Patricia Creutz and Bart Tommelein, both former Chairpersons of the Benelux Parliament. The second discussion on Parliaments in partnership for defense featured, among others, Michelle Haas, a researcher at Ghent University, and Timo Suslov, Vice-Chairman of the Baltic Assembly.
From the Netherlands, participants included Member of the House of Representatives Wytske Postma (NSC) and Senators Pim van Ballekom (VVD), Theo Bovens (CDA), Alexander van Hattem (PVV), Hendrik-Jan Talsma (ChristenUnie), Eddy Hartog (Volt) and Auke van der Goot (OPNL).
Peter De Roover, Chairman of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, referred in his opening speech to 1949 and to a Labour Party (PvdA) member of the Dutch House of Representatives who advocated for more parliamentary control over Benelux cooperation. The Benelux Treaty had already been established in 1944. That plea led to the creation of the Interparliamentary Council of the Benelux on November 5, 1955, which was renamed the Benelux Parliament in 2009. De Roover also cited a VVD motion from 2013 that called for the abolition of this parliament: This critical encouragement was necessary. Things have improved. And the informal contacts that arise through this parliament are important. You can contact each other when appropriate.
Francine Closener (Luxembourg), Chairwoman of the Benelux Parliament, emphasized the value of this body: The Benelux Parliament recently sent a strong signal about the importance of free movement of persons within the Schengen Area. According to Closener, regional cooperation is alive and well, also pointing to close contacts with North Rhine-Westphalia and Hauts-de-France/Grand Région, the European cross-border region including parts of Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, and France.
Former member of the Benelux Parliament, now Member of the European Parliament, Marc Angel from Luxembourg, highlighted the added value of Benelux cooperation for improving citizens daily lives. The mutual recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications within the Benelux benefits labor mobility in border regions. Angel also referred to the origin of the Schengen Area within the European Union, which finds its roots in the Benelux and the need to abolish border controls for workers and goods. This laid the foundation for further European integration. Angel concluded that the Benelux was, is, and should remain a valuable testing ground for the European Union.
