Syria

EU and Syria

The fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024 marked a historic moment and an opportunity for the Syrian people. They had endured immense suffering and demonstrated extraordinary resilience in their pursuit of dignity, freedom, and justice. All Syrians, in the country and the diaspora, now have an opportunity to reunify, stabilise, and rebuild their country.

The European Union (EU) continues to support a peaceful and inclusive transition in Syria, upholding the rights of all citizens. The EU has been working closely with Syria’s transitional authorities and Syrian civil society, increasing both its political and financial engagement.

New political partnership and economic cooperation

Syria’s socio-economic recovery, reconstruction and its reintegration into the Euro-Mediterranean space are key priorities for the EU. This is why, during her visit to Damascus on 9 January 2026, President Von der Leyen announced a new framework of cooperation based on:

1. a new political partnership;
2. stronger trade and economic cooperation;
3. a €620 million financial package for socio-economic recovery and humanitarian aid for 2026-2027.

As part of these commitments, the EU and Syria will co-chair in Brussels on 11 May:

• the first EU-Syria High-Level Political Dialogue (HLDP), launching a structured dialogue with the transitional authorities on an inclusive political transition that respects the rights of all Syrians; and
• the Syria Partnership Coordination Forum, an international platform to coordinate aid, reconstruction, and development efforts in Syria.

EU assistance to the Syrian population

The EU has spearheaded the international response to the Syrian crisis since it began in 2011. It has mobilised its political and financial tools to support the Syrian people inside Syria as well as Syrian refugees and host communities in neighbouring countries (Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Türkiye). Together with its Member States, the EU has been the largest donor in response to the crisis, having mobilised over € 41 billion since 2011 in humanitarian, development, economic, and stabilisation assistance.

The EU has provided direct support to the Syrian population, both inside Syria and to Syrian refugees in the neighbouring countries, as well as to host communities, via several instruments: Annual Special Measures under the funding instrument NDICI – Global Europe, the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis and the Facility for Refugees in Türkiye.

Conferences on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region

The EU has been at the forefront of the international efforts to mobilise funds, to keep Syria high on the political agenda and to support Syrian civil society having convened nine international donor conferences in Brussels between 2017 and 2025.

The overarching objective of the Brussels Conferences was to continue supporting the Syrian population and neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees and to mobilise the international community in support of a comprehensive and credible political solution to the Syria conflict, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The Conferences also offered a platform bringing representatives from Syrian, regional and international non-governmental and civil society organisations together with policy makers during the “Days of Dialogue”:

On 17 March 2025, the European Union organised the 9^th Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, reaffirming its commitment to an inclusive transition in Syria. The conference, which was held together with the Syrian transitional government for the first time, mobilised new funding from the international community. The aim was to meet the immediate needs of all Syrians, both inside the country and in neighbouring regions, while supporting Syria’s early recovery and steps towards reconstruction. The 2025 Conference brought a pledge of € 2.5 billion with the EU and its Member States again as largest donors.

Day of Dialogue in Damascus

On 15 November 2025, the EU convened the first Day of Dialogue in Damascus - an event that brought together Syrian CSOs, representatives of the Syrian Transitional Government (STG), and EU officials for a structured day of discussion on Syria’s transition and recovery. Held in the Syrian capital for the first time, the event was conceived as both a substantive forum and a symbolic act: a signal of the EU’s commitment to direct and sustained engagement with Syrian actors at all levels of Syrian society. 

The Day of Dialogue was structured around six thematic roundtables: Transitional Justice, Empowering Syria’s Youth, Governance and Local Administration, Early Recovery and Livelihoods, Social Cohesion, and the Transition from Humanitarian Aid to Recovery and Resilience. Each roundtable brought together a combination of governmental representatives, civil society actors, and - in some sessions - international partners and UN representatives.

The EU plans to hold a second Day of Dialogue in Damascus towards the end of 2026.

Pact for the Mediterranean

On 28 November 2025, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration, the EU and its Southern Mediterranean partners launched the Pact for the Mediterranean to reinforce the EU’s partnership with the region. On 17 April 2026, the European Commission presented the Action Plan which also covers Syria.

Further information

Factsheets available to download