Mr James Moran

Mr James Moran
External Relations Directorate-General, The European Commission, Brussels, Belgium

Europe Raises its Asian Game: New Directions in the EU’s Engagement with Asia

Abstract:

Over the last five years, developments in Asia have been of increasing concern to the EU. To name but five: in geopolitics, China & India have a high 'demand for Europe' and have sought strategic partnerships with the EU; in the security field, the threat of instability, such as in Afghanistan has the potential to be visited on the European homeland; in peacekeeping and democratisation, where the EU's value base and  commitment to effective multilateralism are increasingly seen as major assets, such as in Sri lanka, Nepal & Indonesia (Aceh); in trade, where Asia has recently surpassed NAFTA as the EU's prime trading partner, and where there is a new push from Europe on FTA's with Asian countries & regions; and in regional integration, following the recent enlargement of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to South Asia and  Asia's home-grown efforts in ASEAN, SAARC and elsewhere, which have picked up speed recently, and where the EU's experience is seen by Asians as a leitmotif.  James Moran, the European Commission's Director for Asia, will examine the EU's response to these challenges and set out an agenda for the future.

Biographical note:

James Moran was educated at Keele (UK), Harvard and London Universities. He has extensive experience in the fields of EU foreign, trade and development policy. Since joining the European Commission in 1983, Mr Moran has served in various posts in Brussels and in EU Delegations in Ethiopia, Jamaica and Jordan, heading the latter two missions. In August 2006, he was appointed Director for Asia (except Japan and Korea) in the Commission’s External Relations D-G in Brussels, and formerly headed the China and South-East Asian Units there. His recent work on Asia includes the initiation of the July 2003 EU strategy for its ties with south east Asia and the production of the EC’s September 2003 and October 2006 policy papers on EU-China relations. He was also the lead author of the publication ‘Taking Europe to the world’ (2004), which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Commission’s external service. He is a frequent contributor to a number of official and other fora in Europe, the US and Asia. Mr Moran, a British national, is married with four children.

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