EU and ASEAN in the world

The European Union:

501 million people 27 countries

Member states of the European Union

Candidate countries
ASEAN Countries 590 million
 Why Study the EU and ASEAN?
Two of the most successful regional international
organizations in existence?
No war between member states: - over half a century in
WE (ECSC 1952, EC since 1957)
- since 1967 in SEA (ASEAN)
Many regional arrangements arranged around each
core
Collective foreign policies make an impact in
international politics and economics?
Of interest to great powers?
Despite end of Cold War in 1991, and other crises EU
and ASEAN have both enlarged and reinvent
themselves
 How to Study the EU and ASEAN

As Inter-governmental organisations (IGO)?

1. Organizations created by three or more governments, based
on a formal agreement, and having some permanent
secretariat or headquarters
2. An institutionalised multilateral practice of coordinating
national policies in groups of three or more states
Multilateralism: the practice of coordinating national policies in
groups of three or more states
Institutions: persistent and connected sets of rules, formal and
informal, that prescribe behavioural roles, constrain activity,
and shape expectations
(R.Keohane, Multilateralism, International Journal, Autumn 1990:732)
 EU Treaties
1958 1987
The treaties of Rome: The European Single Act:
The European Economic the Single Market
Community
The European Atomic Energy
Community
(EURATOM)
1993
1952 Treaty of European Union
Maastricht
The European Steel and
Coal Community

2009 2003 1999

Treaty of Lisbon Treaty of Nice Treaty of Amsterdam
 Key ASEAN Documents
Bangkok Declaration (1967)
Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (1976)
Declaration of ASEAN Concord I - Bali Concord
I (1976)
ASEAN 2020 Vision (1997)
Bali Concord II (2003)
ASEAN Charter (2007)
 ASEAN- Bangkok Declaration
The ASEAN Declaration was signed on 8 August 1967
by Foreign Ministers of 5 countries - Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
The aims and purposes of the Association are:
(1) to accelerate economic growth, social progress and
cultural development in the region and
(2) to promote regional peace and stability through
abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the
relationship among countries in the region and
adherence to the principles of the United Nations
Charter.
 ASEAN Fundamental Principles
As embodied in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC):
mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality,
territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations;
the right of every State to lead its national existence free
from external interference, subversion or coercion;
non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;
settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;
renunciation of the threat or use of force; and
effective cooperation among themselves.
 ASEAN Vision 2020
The ASEAN Vision 2020, adopted by the
ASEAN Leaders on the 30th Anniversary of
ASEAN, agreed on a shared vision of ASEAN as
a concert of Southeast Asian nations, outward
looking, living in peace, stability and
prosperity, bonded together in partnership in
dynamic development and in a community of
caring societies.
 Three pillars

The European Union

European Common Police and

Community foreign judicial
domain and cooperation
(most of security in criminal
common policy matters
policies)

The Treaties
 Three Pillars of ASEAN
The ASEAN Community comprises:

ASEAN ASEAN ASEAN Socio-

Political & Economic Cultural
Security Community Community
Community
 EU and ASEAN Compared
Historical background leading
to ECSC / EEC / EU
End of WWII extent and
scope of physical
destruction, human lives
lost and psych. Impact.
Analysis of underlying
factors leading to the war
(ultra-nationalism;
resurgent Germany;
capitalism)
Immediate priority post-
war reconstruction of
economy
Historical realities in SEA
De-colonisation (newly
independent states
embarking on nation-
building, sensitivity to
interference )
Konfrontasi (Confrontation
that Indonesia launched
against Malaysia and
Singapore)
Security environment -
Vietnam war, threat of
communism, internal
insurgencies)
Immediate priority-nation
building and regime security
 Type of cooperation envisaged
EU is seen as : ASEAN is a tool:
A restraining force against To safeguard the region
ultra-nationalism; from being drawn into
Building block towards a big power rivalry;
new level of To manage intra-regional
governance; differences;
Original goal to achieve Original goal to ensure a
intra-regional political stable regional
reconciliation; environment so that
ASEAN can focus on
domestic dev and
nation-building
 Institutional Design
EU:
Top-down, elite driven
Internally driven
Led by formal authority of
governmental actors through
institutional, legal means
treaty-based and emphasis on
institution building
Procedures and processes governed
by mix of supranationalism &
inter-governmentalism
Decision-making consensus driven
but with different possibilities
unanimity; qualified majority,
simple or absolute majority
ASEAN:
Top-down, driven by political leaders
External focus
Institutional minimalism in ASEAN
and emphasis on process and
confidence building
Procedures and process governed
purely by inter-governmentalism
Emphasis on consultation and
consensus
Decision making is consensus driven
and based on unanimity (later on
devised ASEAN X principle and
ASEAN 2 + X principle
 Enlargement and Membership Criteria
EU: ASEAN:
Geographical limits Geographical
Democracy Treaty of Amity and
Respect for human rights Cooperation
and minority rights Decision to take in new
Market-based economy member is based on
Acquis communataire unanimity
accession negotiations
and treaty-based
Final political decision-
based on unanimity
 Treaties versus Political Declarations
EU: ASEAN:
Treaty of the ECSC Paris The ASEAN Declaration
Treaty (1951/1952) Bangkok Declaration (1967)
The Treaty of the European Declaration of the ASEAN
Economic Community and Concord Bali Concord I
Treaty of the European (1976)
Atomic Energy Treaties of Treaty of Amity and
Rome (1957 / 1958) Cooperation (1976)
The Treaty of the European ASEAN 2020 Vision (1997)
Union Maastricht Treaty Declaration of the ASEAN
(1992 / 1993) Concord II Bali Concord II
The Amsterdam Treaty (2003)
(1997/1999) ASEAN Charter (2007/2009)
The Nice Treaty (1999 / 2001)
The Lisbon Treaty (2007)
 External Relations Foreign Policy
EUs External Relations
(Common Commercial policy)
EUs Common Foreign and Security
Policy (CFSP)
Towards a collective foreign policy?
A common foreign policy
(programme of actions, statements
aimed at influencing external
environment and actors) shared by
several state actors
Result of careful balance between all
member states
New, common identity
ASEANs External Relations
(Dialogue partnerships with various
external powers)
Is there a common approach to
these dialogue partnerships?
No collective foreign policy? Only
ASEAN Way
non-interference,
informality,
minimal institutionalisation,
consultation and consensus,
non-use of force and
non-confrontation.