ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to investigate the organizational structure, integrative mechanisms and functioning of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and compare this to the institutional structure and role of the European Union (EU). These aspects will be analysed within the framework of globalization, new regionalism and the current challenges linked to the implementation of new global regulatory regimes. These challenges have contributed to a wave of regionalization and interregional and bilateral cooperation mainly in the form of FTAs (Faure, 2013). This development is perhaps most prominent in Southeast Asia where we see a growing number of FTAs, both between ASEAN and several other countries as well as bilateral agreements between the ASEAN member states and different nations – and regions – in the rest of the world. The most recent example is the FTA between Singapore and the EU.
