The ASEAN Regional Forum and the EU’s Role in Promoting Security in the Asia-Pacific

Abstract

This chapter takes a closer look at the EU’s role within the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the principal forum for security cooperation in Asia-Pacific. It argues that, although both the EU and the ARF converge on the need to deal with human security issues such as fighting terrorism, combating organised crime, providing disaster relief, and so on, they often diverge with respect to the steps to be taken, due to their different conceptualisations of sovereignty. Even though it may be tempting for the EU to assume the role of norm exporter, European Commission documents outlining the EU’s policy vis-à-vis Asia suggest that the EU understands that it is more likely to make meaningful contributions to Asian security by continuing to support economic development, sharing its experiences with regional cooperative efforts, providing tools, independent monitors, and aiding in capacity-building. A final section discusses how the ‘ASEAN way’, ultimately, is likely to limit the EU’s role within the ARF and how changes (such as a less stringent interpretation of the nonintervention norm and modifications to the consensus rule) may be needed to allow the ARF to transcend the image of a ‘talk shop’. And yet, as a sketch of future scenarios makes clear, there is reason for cautious optimism in that enhanced cooperation over the years to come is likely to benefit both regions.