EU restores full cooperation agreement with Syria after Assad's fall

The EU on Monday restored the full application of its cooperation agreement with Syria, marking a further step in rebuilding ties after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The EU Council adopted a decision terminating the partial suspension of the Cooperation Agreement between the European Economic Community and Syria, repealing a 2011 decision that had halted parts of the deal over the Assad regime's human rights violations.

Political signal

"The decision sends a clear political signal of the EU's commitment to re-engage with Syria and support its economic recovery," the council said in a statement. The suspension, introduced in 2011 and expanded in 2012, targeted trade-related provisions involving Syrian exports, including oil, petroleum products, gold, precious metals and diamonds.

Conditions changed

The council said the conditions that led to the suspension "are no longer present" following Assad's fall in December 2024 and the EU's decision earlier this year to lift economic sanctions on Syria, except those maintained on security grounds. According to the council, restoring the agreement is part of the bloc's broader policy of supporting "a peaceful and inclusive transition in Syria" and helping the country's socio-economic recovery.

Implementation

The European Commission will formally notify Syrian authorities of the decision. The reinstated provisions will take effect on the first day of the month following the notification. The cooperation agreement, signed in 1977, forms the framework for economic and trade relations between the EU and Syria. The council said the EU remains committed to supporting human rights, inclusive governance and Syria's reintegration into the international economic system.