Since the 1970s, the EU-ASEAN relationship has been a constant factor in EU’s partnerships in Asia. A Cooperation Agreement between the EC and the (then 5) members of ASEAN was signed in 1980. Since then, of course, the economic and political scene in South-East Asia has evolved dramatically. This was already recognised in the Commission's 1994 and 2001 policy documents on relations with Asia generally, and then in 2004 the Commission adopted a more specific policy document on relations with South-East Asia.

That document, entitled “A new partnership with South East Asia” identifies the following six strategic priorities and outlines actions by which the EU’s relationship with ASEAN and the countries of South-East Asia could be improved:

Supporting regional stability and the fight against terrorism;
Human rights, democratic principles and good governance;
Mainstreaming justice and human affairs issues
Injecting a new dynamism into regional trade and investment relations;
Continuing to support the development of less prosperous countries; and,
Intensifying dialogue and cooperation in specific policy areas.

EU-Asia relations are expanding rapidly, and the EU is seeking an increasingly close relationship with Asia, going beyond traditional cooperation, to economic integration and deepening of political cooperation.

Home to some two thirds of humanity, Asia is characterised by a tremendous diversity in terms of political, economic, security and social systems. Though Asia is well on the way towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals, poverty remains a significant challenge, as the region is still home to two thirds of the world’s poor.

Asia has recently surpassed NAFTA to become Europe’s main trading partner, accounting for a third of Europe’s total trade flows. Moreover, European FDI in Asia amounts to a third of European investment abroad, and is growing.

The level of interdependence is now at unprecedented levels, and strengthening EU-Asia relations is, thus, one of the EU’s external policy priorities. This was recognised in two major policy documents from the European Commission : a “Towards a new EU Strategy for Asia” in 1994, and “Europe and Asia, a strategic framework for enhanced partnerships” in 2001. The 2001 document noted the solid foundation for strengthened co-operation between Europe and Asia considering that both regions share many common features and values, as well as important political and economic interests including a deep respect for cultural, religious and linguistic diversity and a commitment to regional integration. “There is also the increasing realization that many problems – such as terrorism, environmental degradation, diseases, organized crime – are truly global in their nature, and can only be addressed effectively through international co-operation”.

The EU is consequently fostering dialogue and cooperation with all its Asian partner countries, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Association of South-East Asia Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

To further strengthen political and economic relations, regular summits take place with Asian partners in the framework of ASEM. Regular political and sectoral dialogues are vital so that the European Community can constructively engage on issues of mutual interest.

The European Union is also working to establish Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, India and ASEAN, as well as Partnership and Cooperation Agreements with key Asian partners.

To meet the development challenges that lie ahead and further deepen EU-Asia relations, the European Commission has programmed a total of some € 5.2 billion in development cooperation funding for Asia over the period 2007-13has been earmarked.

An essential element for EC co-operation is dialogue. The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) was founded in 1996, which signaled the start of a new partnership between Asia and Europe. ASEM (the Asia-Europe Meeting) is an informal process of dialogue and co-operation bringing together the fifteen EU Member States and the European Commission, with ten Asian countries (Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). The ASEM dialogue addresses political, economic and cultural issues, with the objective of strengthening the relationship between both regions, in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership. The first ASEM Summit was held in Bangkok in March 1996, giving rise to an ongoing process including Summit-level meetings every second year, Ministerial-level meetings in the intervening years (although now normally once a year), plus a range of meetings and activities at the working level. Within this informal process of dialogue and co-operation, ASEM activities can be grouped into three main “pillars” : political, economic, and cultural/intellectual.

Within each of these fields, a number of activities have already been given prority, including, for example:

· In the political field, discussions on human rights, on the protection of children, and on the impact of globalisation; · In the economic and financial field, co-operation on reducing barriers to trade and investment, and on financial and social policy reform ; and · In the cultural and intellectual field, a wide range of enhanced contacts and dialogue between the two regions and co-operation in the protection of cultural heritage.

Outside the official ASEM process, civil society representatives from Asia and Europe have organized “alternative ASEM” meetings.