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EU set to suspend Syria energy, transport sanctions, draft declaration shows
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 19, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 19, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
The EU is set to suspend sanctions on Syria's energy and transport sectors, according to a draft declaration. This move aims to facilitate financial transactions and extend humanitarian aid exemptions.
By Lili Bayer
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is set to suspend Syria sanctions related to energy, transport and reconstruction, according to a draft declaration seen by Reuters.
EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss Syria at a meeting in Brussels on February 24.
The EU has a range of sanctions in place against both individuals and economic sectors in Syria. European leaders began rethinking their approach after Bashar al-Assad was ousted as president in December by insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
EU ministers agreed in January on a roadmap to ease sanctions on Syria but left details up for negotiation.
The new draft declaration states that the Council of the EU has decided to suspend a number of restrictive measures “in areas of energy, transport and reconstruction, as well as to facilitate the associated financial and banking transactions”.
The EU will also extend indefinitely a humanitarian exemption to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, according to the document.
“As a part of a gradual approach and in a next step, the Council will assess whether further restrictive measures could be suspended,” it said, adding that “the Council will continue to examine whether the suspensions remain appropriate, based on the close monitoring of the situation in the country”.
(Reporting by Lili Bayer and Andrew Gray; Editing by GV De Clercq, William Maclean)
The EU is set to suspend sanctions related to energy, transport, and reconstruction in Syria, as indicated by a draft declaration.
EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss Syria at a meeting in Brussels on February 24.
The suspension of sanctions will affect areas of energy, transport, and reconstruction in Syria.
The EU will extend a humanitarian exemption indefinitely to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria.
The Council will assess whether further restrictive measures could be suspended as part of a gradual approach.
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