Asia and Europe; Cooperating for Energy Security

Because of broad similarities in their economies, energy security (the availability of energy at all times, in various forms, in sufficient quantities, and at affordable prices) is an issue of common concern for Asia and Europe. Any option chosen by one region will necessarily reverberate in the other. In particular, the rise in energy demand in Asia, most of all in China, will have obvious implications for Europe —as well as for the rest of the world. This report, from the Council for Asia-Europe Cooperation (CAEC) task force on energy security (made up of Asian and European political scientists and economists), examines the strategic implications of the other region's choices, compares existing and potential schemes for regional cooperation, and definesareas for interregional cooperation. For example, one significant finding of the task force was a need for expertise transfer from the more advanced to the less advanced countries in the partnership.