EU's New Leadership: What does it mean for EU-ASEAN relations & businesses?

Event Details

EU's New Leaders – what does it mean for EU-ASEAN relations & Businesses?

Date: Wednesday, 11 December

Time: 12.30 – 14:30 Brussels

The EU has undergone a significant leadership change in 2025, with new figures taking the helm across the European Commission and European Parliament. Inevitably, this transition will shape the EU's external policies, including its relations with ASEAN.

Some of the issues that will be discussed include:

- What geopolitical priorities will be new EU leadership embrace? Where does ASEAN play a role in this?

- How will the EU's foreign policy, digital economy strategy, climate goals, and trade policies evolve under this new leadership?

- What impact will these changes have on ASEAN, especially in areas like sustainability (e.g. environmental cooperation), digital trade (e.g. deepening EU-ASEAN digital trade cooperation), and security?

- Will the EU be closer to ASEAN and work with them on the above critical issues, as well as amend an increasingly fraught relationship?

- Will the new leadership push for greater European strategic autonomy, and what impact will this have on EU-ASEAN partnerships in defence, supply chain resilience, and technology?

- Will we be able to see a region-to-region FTA come to life during this leadership?

Agenda

12:30 - 13:00

Networking Lunch

13:00 - 13:05

Welcome Remarks

Noel Clehane

13:05 - 13:15

Keynote Address

EU Foreign Policy in a New Era: Balancing Geopolitical Shifts and ASEAN Engagement by - Leila Fernandez-Stembridge, Head of Division (Southeast Asia and ASEAN), European External Action Serv...

EU Foreign Policy in a New Era: Balancing Geopolitical Shifts and ASEAN Engagement by - Leila Fernandez-Stembridge, Head of Division (Southeast Asia and ASEAN), European External Action Service (EEAS) (invited)

13:15 - 13:25

Keynote Address

EU-ASEAN Relations under the New European Parliament by Wouter Beke MEP, Chair of Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and ASEAN & Member of the European People’s Pa...

EU-ASEAN Relations under the New European Parliament by Wouter Beke MEP, Chair of Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and ASEAN & Member of the European People’s Party (EPP) (invited)

13:25 - 14:10

Panel Discussion

New faces, new policies – what should ASEAN, and businesses, expect from the EU’s new leadership?- Analysis of new notable leaders and how their priorities will impact trade, sustainability,...

New faces, new policies – what should ASEAN, and businesses, expect from the EU’s new leadership?

- Analysis of new notable leaders and how their priorities will impact trade, sustainability, and political relations with ASEAN
- What strategic shifts should ASEAN prepare for, particularly in trade, investment, and climate diplomacy
- Will the EU’s new leadership make a renewed push for multilateralism in ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific?
- What does this all mean for businesses?

Panellists (invited):
- H.E. Adnan Mohd Ja’afar, Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to Belgium
- Maria Martin-Prat, Deputy Director-General, DG TRADE
- Luisa Santos, Deputy Director General, Business Europe
- KAS Representative

Moderator:
- Chris Humphrey, Executive Director, EU-ASEAN Business Council

14:10 - 14:25

Q&A

02:25 - 14:30

Closing Remarks

Noel Clehane