ASEAN and EU regional integration: institutional differences and cooperation objectives

ASEAN-EU Regional Integration

Coordination between ASEAN and EU started in 1980 after the formulation of a cooperation agreement. The EU has twenty five member countries and engages in several multilateral trade cooperation and relations. The EU is influential because of its extensive economic cooperation with other regional organizations through trade agreements. It is also a central player in the world trade organization.

ASEAN is exemplary for demonstrating consistent excellence in improving and fostering peace, political stability and economic development among its member countries. Other strategies including regional integration have a central contribution towards the achievement of its ASEAN's vision 2020 (Das 139). ASEAN-EU Regional Integration, therefore, is of vast importance in enhancing development in Eastern Asia and Europe through trade.

Comparison between EU and ASEAN

The institutional orientation of the two, ASEAN and the EU, vary on grounds of their formation. Intergovernmental cooperation is the basis of the agreement among ASEAN nations. ASEAN is an intergovernmental organization. Decisions are on the basis of consensus among member countries' foreign ministers. There is no legal commitment that member countries have to fulfill consensus. However, there is an assumption that all members of the organization have a common political will to implement any consensus.

The institutionalization of the EU, however, is different from ASEAN. Decisions made are legally binding to the EU member nations since it operates through the community method. All matters of consensus agreed on being are due for full implementation. The organization reserves the right, through an order from a court of justice, to impose penalties on any member for failure to implement an accord. The difference in institutionalization between the two organizations is among the challenges facing integration.

Motivation and objective of forming the organization

Voluntary regional integrations emanate from motivation to attain social, political or economic objectives set by member nations. Countries from the ASEAN region focus on cooperation to boost trade as a solution to poverty reduction and development. This a major basis of their motivation to ensure the ASEAN-EU integration is successful. The EU is a notably successful regional integration for its high performance in the world economy. In addition, the EU has a single market and currency. ASEAN, therefore, identifies cooperation with the EU as an influential strategy in its mandate to boost trade and development. Cooperation with the ASEAN countries is an avenue that the EU can use to dominate the Asia-Pacific region. The urge to improve the international community's economic development was among the motivators of the ASEAN-EU integration project.

The integration project aims at enhancing prosperity in the Europe and Southeast Asia (Gugler and Chaisse 261). It has an objective of addressing issues of global concerns and challenges as climate change. Joint forums that bring together member countries are central in addressing global challenges, as well. It aims at tackling issues of international relations among the member countries of EU and ASEAN. International issues addressed through such forums are varied including political and socio-cultural concerns.

Management

The management of the organization should constitute leaders mandated to implement its goals on a region-to region basis (Christoph 67). This would enhance liberalization of trade operations among countries from all regions. The most applicable management involves an arrangement that would control trade volumes between the two regions (Doidge 78).

Administration of the organization

The organization should constitute administrative positions in charge of diverse aspects of integration. Liberalization of trade among country members of the organization is a vital part of the administration. The organization should set up an administrative unit responsible for investment facilitation and support to countries. Elimination of barriers to trade among members should be under an independent administrative unit in the organization. The organization should have an administrative unit responsible for setting government procedures that enhance transparency for equal market access. The administration should set programs for protection of property rights in trade goods and services.

Level of integration

Integration should include all member countries from the two regions. Member countries should comply with the organization's rules. All the twenty five member nations of the EU have a legal obligation to implement the consensus of the integration. However, ASEAN member countries may choose to ignore or implement them. By 1980, the cooperation agreement featured seven member states of ASEAN. The integration currently encompasses ten countries from South East Asia.

The first country is Brunei Darussalam, which adhered to the agreement in 1984. The country did not have any EU bilateral agreement for integration and cooperation. The integration also includes Cambodia as the second Asian country in the organization. Indonesia is one of the vital stakeholders in the regional integration. Focus on Indonesia emanates from its central role in trade with other EU countries. The country has great geopolitical influence in Eastern Asia and that intensifies its importance and contribution to the success of the integration. Indonesia adhered to the integration in 1988. Other forums that boost the integration include an economic and political cooperation strategy between Indonesia on EU, launched in 2000. The EU is a key trading partner of Indonesia.

The fourth country included in the integration is Lao PDR. Lao gained membership of ASEAN in 1997. Poverty eradication forms the major basis for the integration' inclusion of Lao. The integration focuses on cooperation with Lao to boost budgetary support. Malaysia is the fifth country included in the organization. Malaysia adhered to the agreement in 2003. The integration aims at boosting business between Malaysia and the EU community. After Indonesia, Malaysia is the second greatest trade partner with the EU. Most exports from Malaysia to the EU have no duty charge since they are eligible for preferential treatment. This makes Malaysia a fundamental member country in the regional integration. Myanmar (Burma) is the sixth member state in the integration. Cooperation between the EU and Myanmar (Burma) aims at achieving a low poverty level and prevalence.

Philippines is the seventh country member of the organization. The main motive behind the cooperation between the EU and Philippines is to foster sustainable poverty eradication. It aims at offering subsidy and support to social services to the citizens. Social and political reforms are part of the plan focus of the integration between the EU and Philippines. Singapore is the eighth member country of the integration. The integration emphasizes on an increased trade between the EU and Singapore. Other countries in the integration are Thailand and Vietnam.