Three features characterize ASEAN’s approach to regional economic
liberalization and integration, seen in both the AFTA project initiated
in 1992 and the current AEC project. First, ASEAN governments
have generally been forthcoming in initiating ambitious plans and
programs on economic cooperation and liberalization. Second, despite
ambitious commitments, implementation of these commitments has faced
problems, with member governments sometimes failing to meet set
targets and/or ignoring them, asking for revisions to original targets
and/or seeking exemptions from them. Third, ASEAN governments
have always preferred relatively limited institutional structures that
in the end are unable to impose stronger discipline on member
governments to adhere to the commitments, action plans and timelines to which they themselves earlier agreed. Although the AEC has seen
a number of institutional innovations adopted to aid the integration
process, it is clear that ASEAN members prefer non-intrusive, intergovernmental
mechanisms for decision making, enforcement and
adjudication that emphasize flexibility and consensus. The question
is whether the flexibility inherent in ASEAN’s approach to regional
economic cooperation, integration and institutionalization is all that
undesirable.