EU Observer : Why EU’s ‘suspend, not lift’ Syria sanctions policy will backfire

My article and analysis in the EU Observer from March 2025 on why the needs to lift, not suspend, its sanctions policy on Syria.

You have probably read that last week European states wanted to help Syrians rebuild their country after the fall of the Assad regime, generously throwing a few billion euros to address skyrocketing humanitarian needs.

What you may not have heard, however, is that the EU 27 have actually decided to let Syria down, at the worst possible time.

When the EU-27 announced they suspended their sanctions on energy, transport or financial services, that meant the sanctions remained in place.

There is a fundamental difference between « suspending » and « lifting » sanctions — and European businesses will not invest in bridges, hospitals and schools if sanctions are not lifted.

The EU’s decision to not lift these Assad-era sanctions undermines its stated goal of helping Syrians rebuild their country, it will create even more instability and a vacuum in which Russia and Iran will re-anchor themselves.

First, we should remember sanctions are supposed to be a tool to change the behaviour of people in power.

Read the full article in the link:

https://euobserver.com/19653/why-eus-suspend-not-lift-syria-sanctions-policy-will-backfire/