Luxembourg Presidency of the Benelux Union 2025

Priorities of the Luxembourg Presidency 2025

Introduction

For the fifth time since the new Benelux Treaty came into force in 2012, Luxembourg will assume the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Benelux Union in 2025.

This time again, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has defined its priorities along the three pillars set out in the Benelux Union Treaty: the internal market, sustainable development and justice and home affairs.

Through keyactions and projects, the Grand Duchy will promote once again its flagship values - reliability, dynamism, and openness - in the common interest of the Benelux and the European Union, its citizens and its businesses. Three horizontal priorities will characterise the Luxembourg Presidency:

1. Progressing and prospering through integration and innovation
2. Promoting cooperation with neighbouring regions
3. Protecting and securing citizens

The Benelux countries' action will continue its exchanges with the European Union and intensify its complementarity. Alongside the implementation of its priorities in line with the Annual Plan and with the support of the General Secretariat, the Luxembourg Presidency will also be committed to close cooperation at intergovernmental level, in particular with the development of common Benelux positions within the Council of the European Union and the continuation of exchanges with other countries and groups of countries.

1. Progressing and prospering through integration and innovation

Given the importance of a fully operational internal market for the three Member States, Luxembourg will continue the efforts of the Belgian Presidency to contribute to the development of a new horizontal strategy by June 2025 for a modernised single market at European level. It will also capitalise on the support expressed at the Competitiveness Council in May 2024 by many EU Member States for the abolition of territorial restrictions on supply. The Presidency intends to use this momentum to encourage the new European Commission to present a legislative initiative. It is therefore commendable to organise an event with interested parties from the three Member States and the European Commission.

The Presidency will also aim to finalise the Treaty on Social Fraud and promote artificial intelligence.

To improve the mobility of workers, the Presidency will continue to work towards the recognition of professional qualifications and will consider relaunching the discussion on the automatic recognition of secondary school diplomas. Certification of professional skills, particularly inthe respect of personal data privacy, will also be a priority.

Faced with the challenges of climate change, the Presidency will focus on sustainable development, circular economy and environmental protection. It will speed up authorisations for renewable energies, in particular of hydrogen, and strengthen energy security. Environmental responsibility will include initiatives such as carbon capture, sustainable construction methods, water and chemical management, and food safety. Green mobility will also be addressed, with road tax reforms and support initiatives for electric vehicles and rail transport.

The Presidency will pay particular attention to education for sustainable development, aimed at raising awareness among young people and encouraging them to adopt responsible behaviour. To this end, a Benelux seminar on ‘education for sustainable development’ will be organized.  

Finally, joint controls between the Benelux Member States in the field of biocides and chemical products management will be planned, as well as high-level exchanges on cross-border cooperation in the water sector.

2. Promoting collaboration with neighbouring regions

In 2025, the Benelux, which initiated free movement among its three founding members, and which served as basis to the Schengen Agreement, will celebrate the 40th anniversary of this historic agreement with its partner members.  Building on this experience, Luxembourg will highlight the achievements of this agreement, which is more vital than ever for the European Union, its internal market and beyond.

In the spirit of coherence and integration, the Luxembourg Presidency will therefore continue to strengthen regional and European synergies in all areas and through all its actions. All the priorities described in this text will have to capitalize on this cross-cutting effort in order to continue to position the Benelux both as a laboratory for Europe and as a privileged partner at regional level, whether this involves the bordering regions of the Benelux Union, such as  the Greater Region, or other partner regions. By aligning itself with the 2025-2028 multi-annual plan for the Benelux, established under the previous Belgian Presidency of the Benelux, the Luxembourg Presidency will ensure the l continuity of the Benelux's efforts and coherence with the new strategic agenda of the European Union.

Beyond the Benelux, Luxembourg will also assume the Presidency of the Greater Region for the years 2027 and 2028, and will make every effort to align its priorities, wherever possible, in a broader context. Luxembourg will continue its cooperation with neighbouring regions, focusing on Luxembourg's immediate neighbours.

In particular, in the field of energy transition, synergies will continue to be developed: within the Pentalateral Forum, which the Benelux General Secretariat has been managing on a day-to-day basis since its creation in 2005 and which brings together Benelux countries but also  Germany and France , and finally within the North Sea Energy Cooperation (NSEC), of which Ireland, Denmark and Norway are members in addition to the aforementioned countries.

3. Protecting and securing citizens

Internal security will be one of Luxembourg Presidency’s pillars, which will pursue the implementation of the new Benelux Police Treaty and the conclusion of agreements on the implementing acts. The Luxembourg Presidency wishes to continue to promote the administrative approach to combating organised crime within the Benelux countries and, in particular, the infiltration of the legal economy. The fight against drug trafficking within the Benelux will be intensified and joint field exercises between law enforcement agencies will be organised. The fight against human trafficking will also be fostered.

The formalisation of the PNR(Passenger Name Record) working group , will aim at optimizing service provision in relation to the competent national authorities and services, namely the police, customs, and the intelligence service of the respective country in the fight against crime and terrorism.  

The Presidency will also encourage coordination in crisis management, by promoting greater exchanges of information between crisis centres, in particular through simulation tests, exchanges on topical issues and working visits between operators. This cooperation will be supported by an ongoing dialogue between the directors of the European crisis centres and by monitoring coordination and mutual assistance in the event of disasters and incidents. The Presidency plans to strengthen cooperation and exchanges between the Benelux countries and other regional players, particularly on strengthening national resilience by placing greater emphasis on government compliance.

A workshop on collaboration and exchange practical information within the Benelux countries will be organised in the context of the Sendai Framework for Action on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

Emphasis will also be placed on raising public awareness of preparedness and prevention, and on public education with an aim to strengthening national resilience.