The formation of the Benelux Economic Union

Research Project

Project/Area Number	14530102
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Economic history
Research Institution	Rissho University
Principal Investigator	KOJIMA Takeshi Rissho Univ., Faculty of Economics, Professor, 経済学部, 教授 (00211897)
Project Period (FY)	2002 – 2003
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2003)
Budget Amount *help	¥2,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000) Fiscal Year 2003: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000) Fiscal Year 2002: ¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000)
Keywords	Benelux / Economic Integration / European Economy / ヨーロッパ統合 / ベルギー:オランダ:ルクセンブルク / 戦後経済
Research Abstract	The governments of the three countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) were in-exile-in London, and signed a bilateral monetary agreement in October 1943 and a treaty of customs union in September 5th, 1944. The customs union was applied in January 1948. Benelux is the first successful attempt in the history of the European Economic Integration. In the fifties, Belgian-Dutch intra-trade increased and the protocol on the free movement of capital and the agreement of the free movement of workers were concluded. In 1958, Treaty of Benelux Economic Union was signed and this treaty came into force on 1 November 1960. The Treaty contained some escape clauses, for example, the unification of excise duties and the removal of controls over intra-Benelux trade in agricultural products. Anyway, it is permitted to consider Benelux as a forerunner for the European Economic Community(EEC).