The Joint Cooperation Committee under the ASEAN-EEC Cooperation Agreement signed in Kuala Lumpur on 7 March 1980 held its first meeting in Manila on 28-29 November 1980.

The Meeting was officially inaugurated by H.E. Jose D. Ingles, Acting Foreign Minister of the Philippines, and H.E. Whelm Haferkamp, Vice-President of the Commission of the European Communities responsible for External Relations. The Meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Thep Devakula, Thai Ambassador to Brussels and Chief of Mission of Thailand to the EC as ASEAN Spokesman and Sir Roy Denman, Director-General for External Relations of the Commission of the European Communities.

In the field of commercial cooperation, the Committee approved a new programme on trade promotion for ASEAN regional development. The Committee noted the ASEAN request for improvement in the new EEC GSP scheme, and reviewed the development of trade in the textiles and other commodities of interest to ASEAN. The Committee reiterated its support for the realization of the integrated Programme for Commodities.

The Committee decided to establish a Working Group to facilitate consultation on matters provided for in the Article 2 of the Agreement.

The Community expressed the hope that the ASEAN countries will play a greater role in GATT matters, particularly in relation to accession to the Codes.

The Committee adopted a programme of common action in the field of economic cooperation which includes further support for the early establishment of an ASEAN-EEC Business Council. Cooperation in this field will be further enhanced by the Organisation of conferences in a variety of industrial sector, and a working tour by European mining experts to ASEAN countries in January 1981.

The Committee established a programme of cooperation in the field of science, technology and energy.

The Committee approved a seminar for ASEAN experts on access to European capital markets.

On development cooperation, ASEAN submitted various projects on agriculture, industry, transportation and communications. The Community indicated its willingness to increase financial support for ASEAN regional development. In this context, the Community would be prepared to finance certain ASEAN regional projects. In addition, the Community agreed to act as a catalyst in the financing of large scale ASEAN industrial projects through the Community's Public Development Finance Corporation (INTERACT).

To enable the JCC to implement the Cooperation Agreement in the coming years, the Committee agreed that adequate financial resources are needed, and that suitable arrangements for this should be examined in greater detail later.

The ASEAN and EC delegations expressed their sincere appreciation to the Government and people of the Republic of the Philippines for the arrangements made for the Meeting and for the warm hospitality extended to them during stay in the Philippines.