The need for the Netherlands and Belgium to further integrate police cooperation
| Published date | 01 September 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/2032284417716209 |
| Author | Stephan van Nimwegen |
| Date | 01 September 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Analysis/Opinions |
Analysis/Opinion
The need for the Netherlands
and Belgium to further
integrate police cooperation
An example for Europe?
Stephan van Nimwegen
The National Police of the Netherlands
Abstract
The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the possibilities for improvement of
bilateral police cooperation between Belgium and the Netherlands within the existing Benelux
Police Treaty. Practical examples show there is a great deal of need in day-to-day police
practice to further integrate police cooperation. Although a great deal is already possible on
the grounds of the 2004 Senningen Treaty and the subsequent Pru¨m Convention, there is still
a lack of broader authorizations, primarily in the area of cross-border criminal investigation.
Since the Benelux Police Treaty will be revised in 2017, the sphere of operation can be
expanded. This study shows that it is the intention of the Belgian as well as the Dutch
authorities to achieve significant progress. Recommendations in the context of the treaty
revision include scrapping small-scale police assistance in minor offences and mutual access to
police registers and judicial documentation. In the future, Belgium and the Netherlands can
draw up joint objectives on the basis of each side’s crime problems. Examples are joint
analyses in areas such as border zone drug criminals, terrorism, mobile banditry or cocaine
smuggling. The treaty revision referred to appears to be the perfect opportunity for both
countries to find the limits and to take a truly innovative step in cross border police
cooperationinEurope.
Keywords
cross-borderpolice cooperation, Belgium, the Netherlands
Corresponding author:
Stephan van Nimwegen, the Netherlands.
Email: stephan.van.nimwegen@politie.nl
New Journal of European Criminal Law
2017, Vol. 8(3) 323–333
ªThe Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/2032284417716209
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