What is E-READI?
E-READI (Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument) supports policy dialogues between EU and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)(*) and ASEAN regional integration through sharing regional integration experience in policy areas of joint interest. Besides policy-makers from the EU-ASEAN institutions and Member States, it also aims to enhance interaction with the civil society, the private sector and other elevant stakeholders across different policy areas.
E-READI started on 1st September 2017, with a budget of EUR 20 million, implementation period until December 2023 and foreseen extension until 2025.
E-READI offers organisational and logistical support to EU-ASEAN meetings, workshops or study visits, related to jointly identified policy dialogue areas. E-READI can also support the conduct of expert studies and analysis in support of the sectoral dialogue areas, or provide other short term technical assistance support.
(*) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, followed by Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.
EU-ASEAN Eurocodes Dialogue
Under the EU-ASEAN strategic partnership, Eurocodes are introduced to ASEAN nations through E-READI as cutting-edge construction standards for safety, sustainability, and climate resilience. These continuously improving codes aim to support ASEAN's rapid development and enhance its ability to withstand climate challenges.
The First Regional Workshop on Eurocodes Awareness (23-24 June 2021, online) initiated a regional cooperation on Eurocodes, bringing together representatives from the European Commission, EU Delegations in ASEAN and ASEAN Member States’ (AMS) delegates from national authorities, standardisation bodies, academic and engineering institutions from the construction sector, European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and EU experts as well as the ASEAN Secretariat. The needs for alignment of national legislation and standardisation framework were successfully identified, as were the details on support areas for AMS wishing to adopt the Eurocodes. Further actions such as technical workshops and training sessions through additional E-READI dialogue events were agreed upon country request and cooperation modalities such as communication networks.
Currently, 4 countries - Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore - have significantly progressed in the EU-ASEAN Dialogue on Eurocodes; E-READI strategically considers the different levels of awareness in each country.