Evaluating ASEAN progress

By Malminderjit Singh


As the ASEAN countries gather for their annual summit this week in Vietnam, the regional grouping will once again come under the watchful eyes of the international community. The main thrust of the meetings will be to inch closer towards realizing the ASEAN Community with the economic pillar coming under frequent criticism for the apparent lack of progress in economic integration.

The ASEAN Economic Community, which is due to be fully implemented by 2015 in accordance with the ASEAN Economic Blueprint, has a clearly defined set of measures that member countries must implement in order to achieve integration. However, critics have attacked the process as lacking tangible progress and substantial liberalization measures. A majority of the criticism stems from comparisons made with the European Union example of economic integration. Some of this criticism is valid as the ASEAN process does have areas it could improve on. However, to evaluate its perceived success from a European perspective does little justification and requires a re-think.

Firstly, it must be pointed out that ASEAN economic integration looks to move in the direction of the EU and not become another EU. There is difference in this articulation as the latter implies a direct replication while the former, explains that there would be adaptation of EU measures in the ASEAN context, reflective of the current ASEAN approach. Hence,this distinction is necessary as it already weakens the case for a direct comparison between both groupings.

In addition, the European Community, is the product of amalgamation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community to increase cooperation among member countries, particularly France and Germany, which had fought wars with one another and is thus built upon supranationalism to achieve these objectives. ASEAN, on the other hand, was formed as a solution to maintain territorial integrity and sovereignty and is therefore based upon a system of non-interference and international consensus among member countries. This makes economic integration a little more challenging within ASEAN as non-interference in domestic policies makes coordination among member countries even more important.

If the EU is not an appropriate benchmark, then how should ASEAN economic integration be evaluated? The ASEAN already has developed an ASEAN Scorecard which is designed to be a tracking mechanism for member countries to monitor the overall and individual country progress of measures implemented. Progress on most of these measures have been on track, but there are areas where more could be done. The main areas where more emphasis needs to be accorded include improving connectivity, through more enhanced and efficient transport links, establishing whole-of-government approaches within each ASEAN country so that there is greater domestic policy coordination and a more policy coordination among member countries as well as with dialogue partners.