ASEAN: 30th Joint Cooperation Committee Meeting with the European Union convenes in Jakarta

24.02.2023 EEAS Press Team

Joint Press Release

  1. The 30th Meeting of the ASEAN-EU Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) was held on Friday, 24 February 2023 in Jakarta.
  2. ASEAN and the European Union (EU) are strategic partners with a shared interest in a peaceful, stable and prosperous region, where international law and the rules-based international order are respected and upheld, and where peace, security and stability are maintained, including through, among others, the promotion and protection of human rights such as gender equality and fundamental freedoms. They welcomed the substantive outcomes of the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit, which took place in Brussels on 14 December 2022 to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of a Dialogue Partnership between ASEAN and the EU. Both sides looked forward to a decision on regular Summits in 2023 and to holding the 24th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting.
  3. They both also exchanged views on recent developments in both regions, including regional issues of mutual concern. Indonesia presented its priorities and key deliverables under the theme of “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth” for ASEAN’s Chairmanship in 2023, and reiterated the importance of enhancing ASEAN Capacity in responding to future challenges and to support ASEAN Centrality. The EU provided updates on the implementation of its priorities for 2019-2024, notably the Next Generation EU, European Green Deal, and the Global Gateway. Both sides also underlined the importance of upholding the principles of democracy, rule of law, and human rights and reaffirmed, as for all nations, the need to respect the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Both sides also expressed support for the implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar.
  4. The Meeting reviewed the implementation of the ASEAN-EU Plan of Action 2018-2022, welcomed its significant achievements, with 89.25 percent of action lines achieved, and welcomed the start of implementation of the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership (2023-2027).
  5. They both reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ASEAN-EU cooperation and to uphold ASEAN Centrality based on the shared relevant fundamental principles of their respective Indo-Pacific approaches. They will explore the potential collaboration in the four priority areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and the seven priority areas of the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, all in accordance with the principles of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, the ASEAN Charter, and the AOIP. In this context, the Meeting looked forward to the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Infrastructure Forum as well as Business and Investment Summit, which will be organised on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in September 2023 in Indonesia.
  6. They both noted, in the context of the Global Gateway, the launch of the Team Europe Initiative on Sustainable Connectivity and the operationalisation of the Green Team Europe Initiative of the EU, which aim to enhance ASEAN-EU cooperation and be complemented by concrete projects at both regional and national levels across Southeast Asia, and welcomed the EU's expected contribution of around EUR 10 billion for the implementation of Global Gateway in the ASEAN region.
  7. They both reaffirmed the importance of and their commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement, and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and related Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with a view to promote sustainable development and address the global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental protection, including through the relevant ASEAN-EU dialogue mechanisms, such as the ASEAN-EU Sustainable Development Dialogue and the first ASEAN-EU Ministerial Dialogue on Environment and Climate Change, which is to be convened in 2023. They welcomed the EU’s partnership with the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD) on sustainable consumption and production in the area of circular economy, including the establishment of the ASEAN Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and the EU’s strong support for the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity.
  8. The Meeting looked forward to the efforts to realise the energy transition towards climate neutrality, linked to ASEAN and EU goals to increase energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy, underpinned by cooperation and investment projects in renewable energy in ASEAN Member States, as well as the ASEAN-EU Energy Dialogue.
  9. In the spirit of mutual cooperation, they both welcomed the convening of the 2nd Joint Working Group (JWG) on Palm Oil between relevant ASEAN Member States and the EU as per the agreed Terms of Reference and the relevant parties’ continued constructive discussion pertaining to sustainable vegetable oil production in the said JWG. Both sides also recognised that the JWG shall be a mechanism between relevant ASEAN Member States and the EU. Both sides looked forward to the EU’s hosting of the 3rd Joint Working Group (JWG) on Palm Oil between relevant ASEAN Member States and the EU in 2023.
  10. The EU and ASEAN welcomed the continued wide-ranging, substantive policy dialogues between ASEAN and EU counterparts supported by the Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (E-READI), which promotes dialogue and cooperation on a wide range of policy areas of shared interest. In this respect, they both welcomed the convening of the 4th ASEAN-EU Human Rights Policy Dialogue in Jakarta and looked forward to holding the 5th ASEAN-EU Human Rights Policy Dialogue in Brussels.
  11. They both reaffirmed their commitment to intensify engagement on ASEAN-EU trade and economic issues and to explore other avenues in the short and medium terms to promote cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as digital economy, green technologies and green services and supply chain resilience, while reaffirming a future ASEAN-EU FTA as a common long-term objective. Both sides looked forward to the 19th AEM-EU Trade Commissioner Consultation in 2023.
  12. The Meeting welcomed joint efforts to promote ASEAN-EU connectivity, including through the Global Gateway Team Europe Initiative on Sustainable Connectivity for ASEAN. The two partners will enhance digital cooperation as reflected in the ASEAN-EU Joint Ministerial Statement on Connectivity and in line with the stated vision of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025. Both sides welcomed the signing of the ASEAN-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (AE-CATA), the world’s first region-to-region aviation agreement, and looked forward to its contribution to strengthening cooperation on civil aviation and enhancing air connectivity between and beyond ASEAN and the EU. They both look forward to the 6th ASEAN-EU Senior Transport Officials’ Dialogue, scheduled to take place in June 2023, to further strengthen transport connectivity. They welcomed the success of other projects enhancing people-to-people connectivity as well as trade and economic connectivity between and within the regions, including the flagship EU Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN region (SHARE) and ASEAN Regional Integration Support by the EU (ARISE PLUS) programmes.
  13. They both recognised that peace, security and stability in ASEAN and the EU are vulnerable to a range of common, transboundary threats – including terrorism, violent extremism, cyber-attacks, infringements on maritime security and freedom of navigation, illicit trade in and use of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials, and the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
  14. They both underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation in cybersecurity as previously affirmed in the ASEAN-EU Statement on Cybersecurity Cooperation, which was adopted in 2019.
  15. The EU and ASEAN welcomed the growing engagement between ASEAN and the EU on a broad range of security and defence-related issues, including the EU’s active engagement as co-chair of the thematic work stream on counter-terrorism and transnational crime (CTTC) for the period 2020-2022, extended until 2023, within the ASEAN Regional Forum. They welcomed the holding of the 5th ASEAN-EU Security and Defence Policy Seminar in Brussels in June 2022 and underlined the importance of further developing the ASEAN-EU dialogue on security and defence issues and crisis management. They noted the EU’s commitment to adhere to all relevant ASEAN-led security mechanisms, including the ADMM-Plus and the EU’s ambition to become an observer of two ADMM-Plus Expert Working Groups.
  16. They both reaffirmed their commitment to regional cooperation and integration, and rules-based multilateralism as well as to respecting and promoting international law and internationally agreed norms and standards, in line with the UN Charter. They also reaffirmed their support for preserving and strengthening an open, free, inclusive, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, and the need to address barriers to international trade.
  17. The Meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Philippines to ASEAN, and by Ms. Barbara Plinkert, Head of the South-East Asia Division of the European External Action Service, together with Mr. Ian Hoskins, Deputy Head of Unit for South and South-East Asia, European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships. It was attended by members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN, and officials from the ASEAN Secretariat and from the EU. EU Member States, ASEAN Observer State Timor-Leste, and the European Investment Bank also attended the meeting as observers.

 

Nabila Massrali
Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
+32 (0) 2 29 88093
+32 (0) 460 79 52 44
Xavier Cifre Quatresols
Press Officer for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
+32 (0)2 29 73582
+32 (0)460 75 51 56