EU Restores Full Cooperation Agreement with Syria for First Time Since 2011, Pledges €280 Million

The EU Council formally reinstated the full EU-Syria Cooperation Agreement — suspended since 2011 to isolate the Assad regime. The decision lifts remaining trade restrictions on oil, gold, and precious metals, and re-establishes normal economic and diplomatic relations between the EU and Syria's transitional government. European Commissioner for Partnerships and Promoting the European Way of Life Dubravka Suica pledged an additional €280 million aid and development package for 2026–2027. The first EU-Syria High-Level Political Dialogue also took place on May 11, establishing a formal bilateral engagement framework. The EU's normalization with Syria accelerates the broader international rehabilitation of Ahmad al-Sharaa's government, following the US lifting of sanctions and the Trump administration's engagement earlier in 2025–2026. The EU package builds on earlier emergency humanitarian disbursements and signals a shift toward development-oriented assistance.