EUSK COOP

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

Expansion of EU-South Korea relations and policy advice in the fields of crisis management and stability (security, defence and nuclear) - EUSK-COOP, funded by the European Commission

EU-Korea relations to date have largely been economic but that changed with the signing of a new Framework Agreement in 2010, which also addresses “a broad range of global issues and areas of international concern, including non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, counter-terrorism, climate change, energy security and development assistance” (HR/VP Catherine Ashton). The most recent EU-Korea summit reaffirmed that both sides share fundamental values – in particular, commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Also, South Korea is looking at modelling Europe's Helsinki Process with the Jeju Process - seeking to establish multilateral security cooperation in East Asia.

ISIS Europe, SIPRI and the Jeju Peace Institute (JPI) are currently working on a research project focusing on the  expansion and deepening of EU-Korea relations through promoting knowledge and understanding of the EU’s security, defence and nuclear policies including their civil impact amongst Korean audiences and vice-versa. The project is funded by the European Commission. The project also aims to give policy advice on potential and existing cooperation in the areas of nuclear security and areas covered by the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) such as security sector reform (SSR), combating terrorism, promoting democratic principles and cooperation in regional and international organisations.

Taking into account the regional context,  EU-SK COOP incorporates a strong aspect of new research for pathways towards enhanced cooperation on non-proliferation, disarmament and other security-related issues. With the recent tensions in the region and following global partnership principles across the security and sector building areas, it also aims to enhance cooperation between the EU and South Korea based on best practices, shared values, world views and common interests. Furthermore, as South Korea has economic interests in Africa, the EU experience in crisis management and peace-building on the continent are also incorporated. Korean and European civil society organisations will be involved throughout the project in order to provide valuable input and critical feedback on the potential benefits of different forms of cooperation in the area of foreign and security policy such as SSR, counter-terrorism & international organisations, SALW and nuclear security between the EU and South Korea.

The goals of the project are to promote knowledge and understanding of the EU amongst Korean policy makers, academics, civil society representatives and NGO activists and vice versa; and to provide policy advice on how to shape specific areas of functional cooperation between the EU and Korea. The project will also focus on strengthening political dialogue in specific areas (crisis management / security sector reform (SSR) / peace-keeping / nuclear security) and increasing coordination on global issues of common concern – namely nuclear security, small arms control and global crisis management.

The results of the project will be presented at a conference in Brussels at the end of 2012/early 2013.

For more information, please contact Programme Manager François Ducrotté at francois.ducrotte@isis-europe.eu or www.eusk-coop.eu