On Tuesday 27 May, the EU Council adopted the legal acts lifting all economic restrictive measures against Syria, with the exception of those based on security grounds.
The political decision to lift these restrictive measures was taken by the Foreign Affairs Council on 20 May (see EUROPE 13644/2).
The Council removed 24 entities from the EU list of entities subject to the freezing of assets and economic resources. Several of these entities are banks, including the Central Bank of Syria, or companies operating in key sectors for Syria’s economic recovery - such as oil production and refining, cotton and telecommunications - while others are media and television channels.
In line with its call for accountability and its support for a peaceful transition, the EU Council extended the list of persons and entities linked to the Assad regime until 1 June 2026.
Furthermore, in connection with the wave of violence in the Syrian coastal region in March 2025, the Council introduced new restrictive measures under the EU’s comprehensive human rights sanctions regime, targeting two individuals and three entities for serious human rights violations.
The following persons and entities are concerned: Muhammad Hussein al-Jasim is the founder and leader of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade, a Syrian armed militia active in the Syrian civil war, Sayf Boulad Abu Bakr, the leader of the al-Hamza Division, an armed militia created in 2016 and operating in Syria, as well as the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade, the al-Hamza Division and the Sultan Murad Division.
The EU Council will continue to monitor developments on the ground and stands ready to introduce further restrictive measures against perpetrators of human rights violations and those fuelling instability in Syria.
Link to published legislation: https://aeur.eu/f/h2p (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)