Relationship of ASEAN and European Union

Until the year 2000 and 2001 the European Union had downplayed toward the ASEAN. Some policies of Brussels, Belgium made value over developing countries in Africa only; for example localities based in Caraibes and Pacific regions. European has enhanced relationship focused on economics and commerce only with the huge countries within high economic growth benefits such as South Korea, India and China.

But for over 10 years lately, the business sharing between European Union (EU) and the Association of South East Asia Nations(ASEAN) has been growing so that ASEAN become the biggest economic partner of EU implausibly. Today, EU is the second largest market place and EU is the ASEAN’s third business partner following United States and Japan.

In 2000 Brussels of Belgium in European Union has started to realize that ASEAN consists of potential economics out of natural resources, outnumbered population which involved in commerce transactions or economic activities and because of the deficit of business balance of EU in term of the European nations ordered to purchase goods much more than selling to those ASEAN nations.

Since then Belgium shifted to pivot its policy changing in term of streamlining ties and presence of European Union toward based in Asia regions. The EU commission has been encouraging EU companies coming to invest business projects in some countries of ASEAN in term of relationship enhancement. Yet EU has signed off to accept the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia called TAC and now EU has been negotiating with ASEAN so that to establish a free mutual commerce zone.

In spit of there is a relationship of EU and ASEAN,as of today the EU and ASEAN have apparently downplayed their partnership yet even some better relationships are recognized for instance the joint biannual meeting of the both parties was only made at the foreign ministerial level. There has never been a mutual meeting among the heads of state of EU and ASEAN yet. Sometimes, they notice that the meeting between EU and ASEAN has been presence of secretary of states.

Such behavior of EU has been recognized as much pay attention strictly on human rights or democratization for example EU used to slap economic sanctions on Burma. As of ASEAN cares only the economic benefits and not intent to interfere in other ASEAN’s members national internal affairs.

EU and ASEAN should come together closer in order to reach the consensus that the both blocs used to experience the same pasts including the then-colonial histories of territorial occupation in the long years. The European Union should be a prototype of the upcoming ASEAN economic integration so that the ASEAN community could adapt EU’s integration.

Therefore EU and ASEAN must enhance relationship for the sake of the huge benefits of both blocs including geopolitics.

Read more about ASEAN Economic Community Integration 2015