Editing Benelux (section)

=== Renewal of the agreement ===
The 1958 Treaty between the Benelux countries establishing the Benelux Economic Union was limited to a period of 50 years. During the following years, and even more so after the creation of the European Union, the Benelux cooperation focused on developing other fields of activity within a constantly changing international context.

At the end of the 50 years, the governments of the three Benelux countries decided to renew the agreement, taking into account the new aspects of the Benelux-cooperation – such as security – and the new [[federal government]] structure of Belgium. The original establishing treaty, set to expire in 2010, was replaced by a new legal framework (called the Treaty revising the Treaty establishing the Benelux Economic Union), which was signed on 17 June 2008.

The new treaty has no set time limit and the name of the ''Benelux Economic Union'' changed to ''Benelux Union'' to reflect the broad scope on the union.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.benelux.be/en/act/act_nieuwVerdrag.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001023203/http://www.benelux.be/en/act/act_nieuwVerdrag.asp|url-status=dead|title=Benelux union|archive-date=1 October 2009}}</ref> The main objectives of the treaty are the continuation and enlargement of the cooperation between the three member states within a larger European context. The renewed treaty explicitly foresees the possibility that the Benelux countries will cooperate with other European member states or with regional cooperation structures. The new Benelux cooperation focuses on three main topics: internal market and economic union, sustainability, justice and internal affairs. The number of structures in the renewed Treaty has been reduced and thus simplified.