EU restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria

KEY POINTS

Restrictions on trade in goods, services and technology

The sanctions included restrictions on trade with the EU in items that might have been used directly or indirectly for the internal repression of the Syrian people under the former regime. These included:

• a ban on the import of arms and related material from Syria;
• export restrictions on certain equipment, goods and technology that might have been used for internal repression or for the manufacture or maintenance of such products;
• a ban on trade in goods belonging to Syria’s cultural heritage that had been illegally removed from Syria with the objective of facilitating the safe return of those goods.

Other restrictions also previously applied, including the requirement to inspect vessels and aircraft suspected of carrying arms or related equipment, prohibitions on Syrian financial institutions establishing new banking relations in the EU, bans on oil and petroleum imports, investment in the Syrian oil and electricity sectors, an export ban on monitoring and interception equipment, and trade in gold, precious metals and diamonds with Syrian public bodies and the country’s central bank. These measures were suspended in February 2025 by Decision (CFSP) 2025/406 and Regulation (EU) 2025/407, and repealed in May 2025 by Decision (CFSP) 2025/1096 and Regulation (EU) 2025/1098, thereby lifting all economic sanctions on Syria except those maintained on security grounds.

Asset freezing and travel bans

The sanctions also targeted individuals and companies responsible for the violent repression of the Syrian people under the former regime, along with those supporting or benefiting from it, and individuals and companies associated with them. In particular, the decision and the regulation imposed the following restrictions.

• A freezing of the assets of, and travel bans for, over 350 individuals and at least 90 entities. Funds or economic resources otherwise frozen could be released under certain conditions, including:
  • to make payments on behalf of Syria to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, for activities relating to the organisation’s verification mission and the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons;
  • for evacuations from Syria;
  • for humanitarian purposes.

Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP contains a regularly amended list of the individuals and companies covered by these measures.

EU strategy for Syria

In 2017, when adopting the EU strategy for Syria, the Council of the European Union stated that it would continue to consider further restrictive measures targeting Syrian individuals and entities supporting the former regime for as long as the repression continued. The strategy focused on six key areas:

• an end to the war through a genuine political transition;
• promoting a meaningful and inclusive transition in Syria;
• saving lives by addressing the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable Syrians across the country in a timely, effective, efficient and principled manner;
• promoting democracy, human rights and freedom of speech by strengthening Syrian civil-society organisations;
• promoting accountability for war crimes with a view to facilitating a national reconciliation process and transitional justice;
• supporting the resilience of the Syrian population and Syrian society.

Amendments to the decision and to the regulation in view of the February 2023 earthquake

The EU legislation with regard to sanctions in view of the situation in Syria does not forbid the export of food, medicines or medical equipment to Syria, nor does it target Syria’s healthcare system. It includes a wide-ranging humanitarian exception to ensure the continued provision of humanitarian assistance to any part of the country.

In February 2023, following a powerful earthquake that exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, the Council adopted amendments to Decision 2013/255/CFSP and to Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 to ensure that assistance to the civilian population of Syria would be delivered rapidly. This involved waiving the requirement for humanitarian organisations to seek prior permission from EU Member States’ competent authorities to make transfers or provide goods and services intended for humanitarian purposes to listed persons and entities.

Initially adopted for a period of six months and extended several times until 1 June 2024, the derogation was made permanent in February 2025 through Decision (CFSP) 2025/406 and Regulation (EU) 2025/407. It now explicitly covers not only humanitarian aid but also activities in reconstruction, stabilisation and the provision of basic services.

Amendments reflecting political developments in Syria

Following the fall of al-Assad’s regime in late 2024, the EU reviewed the remaining restrictive measures in 2025.

In February 2025, the Central Bank of Syria was removed from the general list of sanctioned entities and placed in a new annex by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/408, with only certain pre-existing frozen funds remaining restricted. In May 2025, the sectoral sanctions affecting the central bank and several other state-owned entities were lifted by Decision (CFSP) 2025/1096 and Regulation (EU) 2025/1098, while the bank continued to be subject to targeted asset-freeze measures. The same legal acts extended the targeted restrictive measures against listed individuals and entities until 1 June 2026.