European Parliament Briefing, 2022.

Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is often compared with the EU. Both organisations brought together former adversaries and successfully resolved tensions through cooperation, helping to bring peace and prosperity to their regions. However, the EU and ASEAN operate in very different ways. ASEAN is a strictly intergovernmental organisation in which decisions are based on consensus. While this approach has made it difficult for south-east Asian countries to achieve the same level of integration as the EU, it has also enabled ASEAN to accommodate huge disparities among its 10 member states.

European Commission: Joint Research Centre, Bongiardo, D., Chiaramello, D., Dara, A., Cortinovis, R. et al., Atlas of migration 2024, Bongiardo, D.(editor), Dara, A.(editor), Crespi, I.(editor) and Sofos, I.(editor), Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

The Atlas of Migration is more than just a publication—it is a testament to the power of data and rigorous analysis in illuminating the multifaceted nature of migratory movements. The 2024 edition of the Atlas continues to serve as a vital tool for policymakers, researchers and the public at large, offering a wealth of data to cut through the confusion and misinformation that often surrounds the discourse on migration. The Atlas provides the latest harmonised and validated data on migration for the 27 EU Member States and for 171 countries and territories around the world. It brings together data from many reliable sources, such as Eurostat, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, the World Bank and many others. This year’s thematic chapter of the Atlas delves into the nuanced motivations behind migration, moving beyond simplified narratives in favour of a more comprehensive view that acknowledges the diverse and often overlapping reasons that propel individuals to move.

European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Varrette, S., Sulaiman, I., Publications Office of the European Union, 2022.

The present report surveys key ASEAN existing facilities and HPC capabilities, and recommends plans to define a shared capacity at regional level. Building an ASEAN regional HPC capacity and a surrounding ecosystem would require grasping a vast set of aspects from infrastructures, human capacity to regional common interests. The standing ASEAN HPC Task Force that gathers officials of the ten countries has expressed interest to cooperate with the EU and exchange best practice on how the EU model for shared regional resources could be useful. Therefore, a cross analysis was performed to seek shared interests for collaboration between the EU and ASEAN Member States. High Performance Computing (HPC) is a strategic tool for competitive science. However, on many areas such as for health or environment being for covid-related or climate applications it is possible to cooperate and move forward together based on mutual benefits. A possible ambition could be to setting an EU-ASEAN joint-roadmap with joint activities and mechanisms between the two regions.

European University Institute, Okano-Heijmans, M., European University Institute, 2022.

This policy brief develops the argument for strengthening cooperation between the EU and Southeast Asia in the field of digital connectivity and considers the added value of working with Japan as a like-minded partner in this part of the Indo-Pacific. Coordinated action will serve the long-term interests of the EU, ASEAN and their member states, promoting economic competitiveness and inclusive growth, and resilience, openness and freedom in the digital realm.

European Union Institute for Security Studies and Bomassi, L., The geopolitics of multipolarity – How to counter Europe’s waning relevance in Southeast Asia, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2815/2098986

Southeast Asia is becoming more multipolar, with countries reevaluating their alliances and embracing non-alignment. Europe, however, risks being sidelined due to fragmented engagement and an erratic regional presence. Europe’s influence is undermined by a lack of strategic cohesion and inconsistent follow-through. The EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy sits alongside numerous national initiatives, and concerns about Europe’s long-term commitment to the region dilute its overall impact. To regain relevance, Europe must adopt a more coherent and sustained approach. This means prioritising long-term commitments, enhancing public diplomacy, streamlining bureaucratic processes, and leveraging collective European influence more effectively.

European Parliament, 2024.

Progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals has been insufficient, not least because of shocks such as the COVID 19 pandemic and recent wars. The cost of this lack of progress is borne by 'least developed countries' – low-income countries with low indicators of socio-economic development, as defined by the UN. This study reviews the European Union's role in policies that affect poverty in these contexts. It identifies 12 challenges that could be addressed to some extent by further EU action on development policy, climate action, trade and global value chains, and by the EU as an actor in multilateral forums, in line with the policy coherence for development principle.

European Parliament, 2024.

As part of the wider Indo-Pacific, Southeast Asia has vital geostrategic importance for the EU and is facing relevant challenges to the rules-based international order. The Indo-Pacific is undergoing rapid change, and as home to more than 50% of the world’s population, it is becoming a key geostrategic region. Two thirds of the world’s container trade passes through the Indo-Pacific and its sea lanes are important routes for trade and energy supplies. The EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was adopted in September 2021 to increase the EU’s engagement and build partnerships to address global challenges. The Union is adapting its current instruments to support the EU’s strategic autonomy.

European Parliament Briefing, 2023.

In 2022, the European Union–Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) dialogue partnership celebrated its 45th anniversary. The same year saw the 55th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN. The ASEAN region currently collectively amounts to the world's fifth largest economy, a dynamic economic area home to more than 680 million consumers. To secure better access to opportunities in the region's market, the European Union (EU) started negotiations with ASEAN for a region-to-region free trade agreement (FTA) in 2007. After negotiations were suspended in 2009, the EU decided to pursue bilateral trade agreements with the individual ASEAN member states. To date, six have begun talks on bilateral FTAs with the EU: Singapore and Malaysia in 2010; Vietnam in 2012; Thailand in 2013; the Philippines in 2015; and Indonesia in 2016.