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DASE: The Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and ASEAN

The European Parliament's relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ten countries that compose ASEAN are channelled through one, dedicated delegation: the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), abbreviated as the DASE delegation.

Created in 1979, the delegation focuses on discussions with elected representatives in ASEAN and in the ten countries - Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The European Parliament is an official observer to ASEAN's parliamentary arm, the ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). Some members of the DASE delegation join AIPA's sessions in Asia every year.

Composition

The DASE delegation counts 26 full members, as well as the same number of substitute members.

The Chair and Vice-Chairs will be elected on 26 September 2019 by the members of the delegation, while the members are nominated by the Parliament's political groups. The political balance of the delegation mirrors that of the Parliament as a whole.

Working methods

Since it was created, the delegation has held inter-parliamentary meetings with its counterpart parliaments from the ASEAN region, in Brussels and Strasbourg, as well as in the region.

During these meetings, parliamentarians exchange views on issues including trade, economic and social development, human rights issues, the rule of law and good governance, security, migration and regional cooperation.

Delegation visits to the region also often incorporate additional meetings beyond the parliamentary exchanges. Programmes generally include meetings with different public and private stakeholders - such as ministries, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the business community - as well as visits to EU-funded projects.

The delegation also holds regular meetings in Strasbourg and Brussels. The meetings are frequently conducted in cooperation with other parliamentary bodies and include stakeholders from other EU institutions, international and civil society organisations, think tanks and embassies.

ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Assembly (AIPA)

Some members of the DASE delegation represent the European Parliament at the annual meeting of the General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), in which the European Parliament has an observer status.

Deepening the relationship between the European Parliament and AIPA is a prospect the delegation is exploring in its efforts to strengthen the parliamentary extension of EU-ASEAN relations. The DASE delegation considers the parliamentary bond to be a key and productive element of the larger, bilateral relationship.