Following the lifting of the EU’s economic sanctions against Syria, the European Commission is proposing €175 million for the social and economic recovery of the country. This new EU funding will:

• Support Syria’s public institutions with the help of experts from Syria and other countries, including the Syrian diaspora.
• Support bottom-up and community-driven actions in the areas of energy, education, health, livelihoods and agriculture.
• Revitalize rural and urban economies by supporting livelihoods and job creation in communities across the country.
• Increase access to finance for the most vulnerable populations.
• Promote transitional justice, accountability, and human rights including means to fight against impunity, notably in supporting human rights as well the missing people file.

Furthermore, the Commission is actively pursuing the integration of Syria into several key initiatives with its Mediterranean partner countries, including the Erasmus+ programme and the forthcoming New Pact for the Mediterranean, aiming to strengthen cooperation and collaboration in the region. Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica is currently in Syria, where she is reaffirming the European Union’s steadfast commitment to supporting a peaceful, inclusive, and Syrian-led transition process. This visit, the first by an EU Commissioner since the establishment of the transitional government, signifies a new chapter in EU-Syria relations, paving the way for enhanced, long-term support and deeper engagement with the EU, ultimately benefiting the Syrian people.