The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) convened their 33rd Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) Meeting on 11 June 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia, reaffirming their shared commitment to deepening the decades-long strategic partnership amid an increasingly complex global geopolitical landscape.
Co-chaired by Ambassador Latifah Zaini, Permanent Representative of Brunei Darussalam to ASEAN, and Ms. Leila Fernández Stembridge of the European External Action Service, the meeting brought together members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN, EU officials, and representatives from EU Member States and the European Investment Bank.
Both sides reviewed regional developments since their last meeting in June 2025 and reiterated their determination to promote peace, security, stability, and prosperity through 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. They underscored the importance of strengthening the rules-based multilateral system and respecting international law as the foundation of their partnership.
The meeting built on the momentum of the 25th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, in April 2026, and looked ahead to the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations in 2027. Both sides expressed commitment to undertaking more tangible and mutually beneficial initiatives, with the EU signalling its intention to establish a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN.
On peace and security, ASEAN and the EU highlighted the growing importance of cybersecurity cooperation and maritime security. They noted that the resilience of critical underwater infrastructure is vital to regional security and prosperity, and recognised the need for coordinated efforts to combat cybercrime, including online scams and fraud that increasingly affect Southeast Asian citizens.
Trade and economic cooperation featured prominently in the discussions. Both sides focused on the digital economy, green technologies, supply chain resilience, and emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence. They welcomed progress towards finalising the ASEAN-EU Digital Trade Principles and reaffirmed their long-term goal of advancing towards a region-to-region ASEAN-EU Free Trade Agreement.
The EU's Global Gateway initiative received strong endorsement, with all projects under the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package (SCOPE) now operational across trade, investment, transport, energy, and digital connectivity. The EU expressed its intention to scale up support for flagship initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid, drawing on its extensive experience with energy market integration.
On climate action and sustainable development, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to effectively implementing the Paris Agreement and strengthening cooperation on the circular economy, biodiversity protection, and disaster management. The EU pledged continued support to the ASEAN Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and enhanced coordination between the AHA Centre and the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre.
ASEAN welcomed the EU's contributions towards the ASEAN Community-building agenda and called for continued support for ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future, as well as the Initiative for ASEAN Integration aimed at narrowing the development gap among member states. Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in education, digital skills development, and research and innovation through programmes such as Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe.
With 69.5 percent of action lines under the ASEAN-EU Plan of Action for 2023-2027 now addressed, the 33rd JCC Meeting demonstrated the growing depth and breadth of inter-regional cooperation between Southeast Asia and Europe as both blocs navigate an era of rapid geopolitical and economic transformation.
Sources: asean.org
