Regional cooperation

The Asia Wide Programme is an important part of the Commission’s strategy to promote economic co-operation between the European Union and Asia. This incorporates the promotion of partnerships and sustainable networking between civil society organizations in key areas such as trade and investment, information technology and communications, higher education, urban development and the environment.

Programme objectives cover the following areas of activity:

Asia IT&C aims to improve the quality of Europe-Asia partnerships and will link the two regions in the search for innovative and compatible solutions and standards in IT&C. The contribution made by the application of IT&C in these specific areas contributes to the integration of participating countries/territories into the global information society.

The Programme strives to create broad, intense and enduring technological and economic relationships between Europe and Asia, in which balanced partnerships and joint innovations may flourish.

Asia IT&C provides six components and a range of support services to further the growth of a Europe-Asia network in IT&C, liaising with existing EuropeAid Programmes for economic co-operation in Asia, including Asia-Invest, Asia Urbs and Asia Link. Co-financed projects include those which search for compatible IT&C solutions between Asian and European IT&C environments, improve the transfer of IT&C know-how, and strengthen the mutual understanding of IT&C regulatory and/or legislative structures between the regions.

The Asia-Link Programme is an initiative by the European Commission to promote regional and multilateral networking between higher education institutions in EU Member States and South Asia, South-East Asia and China. The programme aims to promote the creation of new partnerships and new sustainable links between European and Asian higher education institutions, and to reinforce existing partnerships.

Programme Website

The Asia Pro Eco Programme is one of a series of initiatives by the European Union designed to promote mutual benefit and understanding between the Member States and Asia. The Programme aims to improve environmental performance and technology partnership in economic sectors, and promote sustainable responsible investment

Programme Website

The European Commission developed a strategy for Asia which seeks to improve the mutual awareness and understanding between the European Union and Asia. More specifically, it aims to raise the profile of Europe in Asia, and enhance economic co-operation between the two continents.

The Asia Urbs Programme is one of several initiatives designed to help fulfil this strategy and it does so by promoting decentralised (city-to-city) co-operation between the two regions. It has two major aims:

· to provide co-funding to local government partnerships to undertake urban development projects

· to encourage the networking of these projects to share knowledge and experience

Programme Website

The Asia-Invest Programme is a European Union initiative that aims to promote and support business cooperation between the EU and Asia. The Programme provides assistance to intermediary organisations to facilitate mutually beneficial partnerships between companies, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the EU and South and South-East Asia and China, as well as to strengthen the business environment to increase trade and investment flows between the two regions.

For more information on the programme please see:

Programme Website

Programme Flyer

For the purposes of the Asia-Invest Programme, several countries are considered as less prosperous or not having benefited under the first phase of the Programme. These are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, East Timor, Lao PDR, Nepal, Indonesia and Pakistan.

Given the growing potential for trade and investment opportunities with the EU, particular consideration has been made under the instruments and activities of the Programme to encourage projects in these countries.

The possibility of an EC contribution to the total eligible costs of up to 95%. For more information on the programme please follow the link.