The European Union is considering lifting certain sanctions in Syria to improve humanitarian aid delivery and support recovery efforts, following the U.S.'s recent sanctions exemptions to ease assistance after Bashar al-Assad's rule.
European Union sanctions in Syria that impact humanitarian aid delivery and hinder recovery efforts could soon be lifted, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday.
Speaking to France Inter radio, Barrot suggested that the EU may follow the United States, which recently issued a six-month sanctions exemption to ease humanitarian assistance after the end of Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
"There are other (sanctions), which today hinder access to humanitarian aid, which hinder the recovery of the country. These could be lifted quickly," Barrot said. He also indicated that lifting broader political sanctions would depend on Syria’s leadership during the transition period.
Three European diplomats, speaking anonymously, stated that the EU may agree on easing some sanctions ahead of a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on 27 January. Measures under discussion include facilitating financial transactions, improving air transport, and lessening energy-related sanctions to boost power supplies.
Syria currently experiences severe power shortages, with electricity available for only two to three hours daily. The caretaker government plans to increase this to eight hours within two months.
The U.S. waivers, effective until 7 July, allow limited energy transactions and personal remittances but do not remove existing sanctions.
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