The Council of the European Union has partially suspended sanctions on Syria to help the country’s economic and social recovery and stabilisation following 14 years of civil war and the fall of the Assad regime in early December 2024.
In a press release on Monday, the Council stated that it had decided to suspend restrictive measures in the energy and transport sectors, including the removal of four banks and one airline from the list of entities subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources, and allow funds and economic resources to be made available to the Central Bank of Syria.
“The fall of the al-Assad regime marks the beginning of a new era of hope for the Syrian people. All Syrians, in the country and diaspora, should have the opportunity to participate in the rebuilding of their country,” the Council stressed, adding that applications for humanitarian support would be extended indefinitely.
The EU Council also pledged to closely monitor the situation in Syria to assess whether further lifting of economic sanctions would be appropriate.
In a declaration dated 19 December, the European Council stated that there was a “historical opportunity for all Syrians to reunite and rebuild the country” and underlined the importance of an inclusive and Syrian-led political process for the “legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people”.
