The Benelux have reasons to not get along. There are different languages and religions. They were once united in a way that saw the Netherlands dominate. Perhaps not the best memory for Belgium and Luxemburg. Still there might be some advantages in some standardizing, how much is the question. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
This stamp from Belgium recognized the twentieth anniversary of the Benelux countries governments in exile signing the London Customs Convention. Interesting that the stamp chose to show the three countries seperate Royal Heads of State. A King/Queen/and Grand Dutchess might naturally be suspicious that integration with other realms might be limiting. Perhaps this is to hint that the integration won’t go too far.
Todays stamp is issue A185, a 3 Franc stamp issued by Belgium on October 12th, 1964. This was a single stamp issue that actually missed the signing anniversary by a month. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used. A similar stamp was also issued by the other Benelux countries and share this ones low value.
The first step toward reintegrating the Benelux countries economically was when Luxemburg and Belgium signed a customs union in 1921. One feature of the agreement that was not successful was the two countries setting their respective Francs at a fixed exchange rate. This exchange rate had to be changed twice during the 27 years it was in effect.
In 1944, when the governments of all three countries were in exile in London and thus were more under the will of the British than their own voters, a London Customs Convention was signed. The countries did not again try to fix currencies and did wait till 1947 to ratify the agreement. It took effect in 1948.
The most important thing about the customs union was that it provided a model on how countries could integrate. Soon there was a new Benelux Parliament based out of Brussels that did not replace legislatures in the three countries. An integrated Secretariat had figure heads from the three countries in turn on one year terms. The decisions of the integrated system in some cases are to be ratified by the counties separate governments. The customs union expanded into a full economic union in 1955. Of course this is all sold on the promise of greater economic efficiency. To what extent the expense of two governments where there was one counteracts this is not fully explored.
If this sounds a lot like what later happened with European integration you are correct. The process was directly the model for the 1970s and 1980s Schengen negotiations.
Today the EU requires members to adopt their rules on issues beyond economics. This can lead to troubles when for example Eastern European nations prefer to stick with more traditional rules on things like abortion or homosexual rights. I could find no record of similar arguments between the Benelux countries in this time frame. Whether that was the result of more similar people agreeing or the three Royals on todays stamp preventing overstepping is fun to consider.
Well my drink is empty. All my American readers have a nice Thanksgiving and come again on Friday when there will be another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.