European Union Implements Dozens of Strategic Projects in ASEAN

EU-ASEAN cooperation targets matters relating to grassroots society.

KOMPAS/LARASWATI ARIADNE ANWAR

ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn after the launch of the European Union-ASEAN Blue Book in Jakarta, Wednesday (8/5/2024).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN issued a report on the results of cooperation with European Union2024-2025 period. A total of 14 strategic projects in 10 ASEAN member countries have been running. The European Union also continues to express support for ASEAN centrality and resolving problems in the Indo-Pacific region based on methods formulated by ASEAN.

The launch of the Blue Book was held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Wednesday (8/5/2024). "This is a form of strategic partnership between two very different blocs, but capable of finding common ground for peace, security and mutual prosperity," said ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn.

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The EU has a Global Gateway Initiative with a total investment value of 300 billion euros. In ASEAN, the funds disbursed amounted to 10 billion euros. A total of 4.2 billion euros has been absorbed for 14 strategic projects covering 21 aspects.

The project includes initiatives in sectors such as transitioning to clean energy, supply chain, climate crisis mitigation, digitalization, and education. These programs are implemented in ASEAN countries except for Thailand, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, and Myanmar (Kompas.id, February 20, 2024).

The report on the achievements of ASEAN cooperation with the European Union for the 2024-2025 period was launched in Jakarta, Wednesday (8/5/2024).

According to Kao, in addition to those strategic projects, the EU also has other cooperation schemes targeting grassroots communities. The beneficiaries include the people of Myanmar.

Due to the ongoing political crisis in the country, Myanmar only participated in ASEAN activities represented by their foreign minister and senior officials. The military junta is not recognized as the country's leader.

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ASEAN and EU have been in a relationship since 1977. The current status of the partnership is a strategic partnership. EU has expressed numerous times its desire to elevate the status to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

One indicator is the regular holding of high-level conferences between ASEAN and EU heads of state. Kao stated that this is complicated to realize, but it is not impossible.

European Union Ambassador to ASEAN Sujiro Seam at the launch of the EU-ASEAN Blue Book 2024-2025 in Jakarta, Wednesday (8/5/2024).

The reason being that both the EU and ASEAN are super-regional blocs, meaning they have membership from many countries. ASEAN has 10 members and the EU has 27 members. Bringing together the views of these 37 countries is not an easy task.

"Despite that, discussions about the possibility of establishing regular summits continue. So far, we have regular meetings of foreign ministers every two years and meetings of government officials," said Kao.

Grassroots

The issue of air pollution is not new. The condition of communities threatened by air pollution has been ongoing for a long time. Numerous research studies have shown the dangers of the impact of air pollution. However, this situation has not yet prompted significant efforts to control air pollution. As a result, residents are increasingly suffering from living in the grip of air pollution. Philippine Ambassador to ASEAN, Hjayceelyn Quintana, acted as the Coordinator for Dialogue between ASEAN Member States and the EU. She stated that the uniqueness of this cooperation is its livelihood from grassroots communities.

Philippine Ambassador to ASEAN Hjayceelyn Quintana at the launch of the European Union-ASEAN Blue Book in Jakarta, Wednesday (8/5/2024).

EU-sponsored projects are not limited to government or corporate levels. "From students to migrant workers, they all benefit and participate," said Quintana.

At the higher education level, the EU implements the Erasmus Plus program. Academics from various universities in ASEAN countries can continue their postgraduate studies in Europe.

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If one does not attend lectures, there are training programs, exchanges, or double degree programs available. In total, during 2024-2025, there are 60,000 academic citizens from the EU participating in Erasmus Plus to ASEAN.

Quintana stated that the next step is to ensure that the academic community from both sides builds their own communities and bridges the two regions. At least, this is starting to appear in the ASEAN academic community. The knowledge and skills they acquire are applied in their respective environments. "The trust of the ASEAN community in the EU is also high, at 41.5 percent," he said.

ASEAN GDP and GDP Per Capita infographic

In addition to education, there is also development in the system of protection and training for migrant workers. This includes the creation of a transparent recruitment system so that prospective migrant workers understand their rights and prevent cases of fraud when they arrive in a foreign country.

The newest aspect is holding counseling for workers who experience violence. This counseling system takes into account the victim's gender background.

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The EU Ambassador to ASEAN, Sujiro Seam, stated that at the government level, the EU invests in sustainable infrastructure. This can be seen in the development of Smart Green ASEAN Cities (SGAC) in 10 ASEAN cities.

In Indonesia, this project is implemented in the development of the Indonesian capital city. "ThisBlue Book comes at a good time, on Thursday (9/5/2024), the EU commemorated the 74th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration which marked the birth of the EU so there is clear evidence of the EU's activeness in ASEAN," he said.