The Council of the European Union has decided today to suspend a number of restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria, with the aim to support an inclusive political transition in Syria, and its swift economic recovery, reconstruction, and stabilisation.
"The EU aims to facilitate engagement with Syria, its people, and businesses, in key areas of energy and transport, as well as to facilitate financial and banking transactions associated with such sectors and those needed for humanitarian and reconstruction purposes," - the Council said in its statement.
The Council has decided to implement the following measures:
- Suspend sectoral restrictions in the energy sector (including oil, gas, and electricity) and the transport sector.
- Remove five entities—Industrial Bank, Popular Credit Bank, Saving Bank, Agricultural Cooperative Bank, and Syrian Arab Airlines—from the list of those subject to asset freezes and economic restrictions, while also permitting the allocation of funds and economic resources to the Syrian Central Bank.
- Introduce exemptions to the prohibition on banking relations between Syrian banks and financial institutions within member states, allowing transactions related to the energy and transport sectors, as well as those necessary for humanitarian and reconstruction efforts.
- Permanently extend the existing humanitarian exemption to ensure continued support.
- Introduce an exemption for personal use regarding the export prohibition of luxury goods to Syria.
At the same time, the Council will maintain sanctions related to the Al-Assad regime, the chemical weapons sector, and the illicit drug trade. Additionally, several sectoral measures will remain in place, including restrictions on the arms trade, dual-use goods, equipment for internal repression, software for interception and surveillance, and the import/export of Syrian cultural heritage items.
EU restrictive measures have been used as a tool against the Al-Assad regime, responsible for the violent repression of the Syrian civil population.
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