The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967 with the signing of the Bangkok declaration by the five original ASEAN Member Countries. Its key position in the Asia Pacific region, its dedication to peace and stability and its important economic weight, has made ASEAN an essential partner for the European Union (EU) in Asia, formalised through the signature in 1980 of the EC-ASEAN Cooperation Agreement.

The commitment of the European Commission (EC) to the energy sector in ASEAN dates back to the 1990’s. AMCs are undergoing major demographic and economic transition and the process of continuing economic integration has led to the need to develop some strategic policies and practices. At the same time, the world has become increasingly aware of limited available energy resources and of the growing global threat to the environment.

Back in 1997, the EU Energy Council adopted some conclusions on the “Europe-Asia Co-operation Strategy for Energy”. Among those, it recognised that the process of economic development in Asia calls for special attention to the elaboration of adequate energy policy at both national and regional level. It was also necessary to strengthen the security of supply both in the EU and Asia, to increase the participation of the European industry in Asia’s energy market and the protection of the global environment. Beyond the fact that energy is a critical factor for industrial development, the EC strongly believes that sustainable development is only possible if the technologies used are environmentally friendly. In the end, we all will pay the cost of polluting technologies.

In order to assist ASEAN to strengthen its policies and practices in this key sector and to strengthen ties between EU and ASEAN Countries, the EC has set up two facilities worth more than Euro 45 Million: the EC-ASEAN Energy Facility and the COGEN Programme. Both programmes aim at the promotion of energy efficiency and energy conservation, security of energy supplies in rural areas and development of regional energy resources.

The COGEN programme (known as COGEN 1, 2, 3) funded 24 successful Full Scale Demonstration Projects (FSDPs) in different ASEAN regions, eight of which were implemented during COGEN 3. All have demonstrated the substantial benefits that cogeneration technology can bring. The private sector in ASEAN benefits from this programme by saving money and increasing its competitiveness. The current international energy crisis makes this programme even more relevant to the need of developing alternative sources of energy. Finally, it yields important benefits for the civil society as it promotes the concept of environmental sustainability.

To conclude, I believe that the COGEN programme has been a key initiative in the development of sustainable energy systems in this very dynamic part of the world and I wish every success to all present and future cogeneration projects across the region.

Ambassador Jean Breteche
Head of Delegation of the European Commission
to Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and East Timor