Editor’s Note
This article discusses the recent easing of EU and UK sanctions against Syria, a significant policy shift aimed at supporting economic recovery and engagement with the transitional government. Readers should note that sanctions relief is often conditional and subject to change based on political developments.
On 23 June 2025, the EU Council approved a new set of conclusions on Syria, confirming the EU’s support for the country’s peaceful transition and its engagement with the transitional government to facilitate Syria’s economic recovery. To this end, the EU recently lifted a majority of its sanctions against Syria. The UK has also recently eased its sectoral sanctions against Syria. Both the EU and the UK have removed various Syria-related entities and individuals from their respective asset freeze lists, although a significant number of designations remain. Below, we provide a status update on the EU and UK easing of sanctions against Syria.
Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the EU and UK have eased their sanctions targeting Syria to take account of the changing political situation. The key EU and UK sanctions against Syria that have been lifted relate to the following categories:
The EU and UK previously maintained broad sanctions targeting Syria’s energy sector, including oil, gas, and electricity supply and production. This included an EU export ban on listed equipment or technology related to oil and gas exploration, production, refining, or liquefaction, or used for the construction or installation in Syria of new power plants for electricity production; restrictions on financing Syrian parties involved in crude oil exploration, production, refining, or the construction and installation of new power plants; and a ban on any import, purchase, or transport of Syria-related crude oil or petroleum products. These EU restrictions have all now been lifted, and the UK has also lifted similar sanctions measures targeting Syria’s energy sector.
Both the EU and UK have also removed from their respective asset freeze lists various entities engaged in the production or supply of oil, gas and other petroleum products. This includes, amongst others, the EU and UK de-listing of the Syrian Petroleum Company, the Syrian Trading Oil Company (Sytrol), the General Petroleum Corporation (GPC), and the Syrian Company for Oil Transportation.
The EU has lifted its prohibitions on the sale, supply, transfer or export of Syrian denominated banknotes and coinage, jet fuel, fuel additives and luxury goods in relation to Syria. The EU now also permits both the export to Syria and import from Syria of gold, precious metals and diamonds.
Whilst the UK has also removed its export restrictions relating to jet fuel and fuel additives, as well as Syrian denominated banknotes and coinage, it has not lifted corresponding trade sanctions against Syria relating to luxury goods and gold, precious metals and diamonds, all of which remain in place.
The EU has also lifted various financial services measures in relation to Syria, including in relation to the provision of insurance and re-insurance to the Syrian government. Previously, the financial services sanctions prohibited (amongst other things) disbursements or payments under existing loan agreements between the European Investment Bank and the State of Syria and related technical assistance services, dealings with Syrian public or public-guaranteed bonds, and the provision of a range of financial services to Syrian credit or financial institutions (such as the establishment of new correspondent banking relationships).
The UK has similarly lifted all sanctions relating to investments, financial services and financial markets, with the exception of the UK prohibition on the sale or purchase of bonds (and related services); the UK bond-related prohibition has been amended so that it now only applies to bonds issued by the Assad regime or guaranteed by the Assad regime and issued between 19 January 2012 and 8 December 2024.
Both the EU and UK have removed sanctions that previously prohibited cargo flights operated by Syrian carriers or flights operated by Syrian Arab Airlines from accessing airports in the EU and UK, respectively.
Amongst a range of asset freeze de-listings, the EU and UK have removed various State-owned entities in Syria, such as the Central Bank of Syria and Syrian Arab Airlines. The UK (unlike the EU) has also removed certain Syrian government entities such as the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defence from the respective asset freeze lists.
Whilst there has therefore been a significant easing of EU and UK sanctions against Syria, not all measures have been lifted. The key EU and UK sanctions that remain in place fall under the following categories:
A significant number of individuals and entities associated with the former Assad regime remain subject to EU and UK asset freezes and travel bans. These include, for example, Bashar al-Assad and his family, as well as senior military and intelligence officials.
