Security Relations Between the EU and ASEAN

Abstract

The global diffusion of internal and external security threats has accelerated demands for greater cooperation between states and regions. Since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 on the United States and the 2002 Bali bombings, ASEAN, the EU and their respective member states have repeatedly called for closer collaboration in foreign and security affairs. Numerous meetings, workshops and various joint declarations followed. Yet attempts to elevate ASEAN-EU relations to a formal strategic partnership have continually failed. Cooperation has been limited to official meetings, the exchange of best practices and the funding of ASEAN-based institutions by the EU and its member states. Against this background, the chapter will critically examine the record of ASEAN-EU security cooperation in counter-terrorism, regional security and environmental security. This chapter argues that the depth and scope of ASEAN-EU security cooperation are limited by diverging threat perceptions and, even more, by diverging policy responses at the member state level.