24/07/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 23 July, the Belgian, Dutch and Luxembourgish home affairs and justice ministers signed a new 'Benelux Police Treaty' that will enable a better exchange of data, more possibilities for cross-border intervention, and better facilitation of police investigations in the neighbouring countries, they announced in a press release of 24 July. This agreement updates the Benelux Treaty on cross-border cooperation between the Benelux police services that was signed in 2004. With the new treaty, direct access to police databases becomes mutually possible on a hit/no hit basis. A direct consultation of police databases is also made possible during joint actions and in joint police stations. The treaty furthermore extends Benelux police officers' powers of investigation. Benelux outstrips the EU, the three countries state. (SP)