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EU and ASEAN: Issues of regional security

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Abstract

The article critically explores how, and in what ways, the EU and ASEAN have addressed contemporary security issues, including non-traditional security threats. The comparison of the EU and ASEAN responses to these threats highlights the different forms and functions that regional integration has taken in Europe and Southeast Asia, and the implications of these differences for intra- and extra-regional security cooperation. The article considers how the EU and ASEAN might work more cooperatively together, noting some existing examples in which experiences and good practice are already shared, as well as other areas in which cooperation might be possible. The article concludes that while security cooperation in the EU and ASEAN, as well as between the two regional entities, is problematic, reflecting differing regional and national interests and organisational capabilities, there are concrete areas in which cooperation is possible.

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Notes

  1. ARF comprises ASEAN plus Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russian Federation, Timor Leste and the USA.

  2. APEC was formed in 1989 and comprises Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the USA, Vietnam.

  3. Tow and Taylor (2010) question the use of the term security architecture in Asia and highlight how it is used differently by both academics and practitioners in the USA, Australia, Japan and Southeast Asia.

  4. The meeting provided the basis for an exchange of views on maritime security, terrorism, Korean peninsula and future of ARF, as well as transnational crime: drug and human trafficking.

  5. ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting, 25–27 February 2010, www.aseansec.org/18816.htm, accessed 21 January 2010. These included: (a) Concept paper on the use of ASEAN military assets and capacities in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (2009), (b) Concept paper ADMMPlus: principles of membership (2009), and (c) Concept paper on defence establishments and civil society organisations cooperation on non-traditional security (2009).

  6. In Southeast Asia these threats included Jemmah Islamiah and Abu Sayyaf (ASDG), which were considered to have links with Al Qaeda.

  7. ASEAN has concluded agreements around counter-terrorism, transnational crime or non-traditional security threats with several countries, namely Australia (June 2004), China (November 2002), the European Union (January 2003), India (October 2003), Japan (November 2004) and the Russian Federation (June 2004).

  8. There has also developed a considerable academic interest in Non-Traditional Security (NTS) threats, with the establishment in 2007 of a Consortium of Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS-Asia). This brings together 14 institutes and think tanks in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asian and South Asia, which is led the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

  9. Overview of ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations, ASEAN website www.aseansec.org/23216.htm, accessed 31 January 2010.

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  1. Department of Politics and History, Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park, Liverpool, L16 9JD, UK

    Nicholas Rees

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Rees, N. EU and ASEAN: Issues of regional security. Int Polit 47, 402–418 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1057/ip.2010.16

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