The EU is a full member and has been an active participant in the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and its two taskforces (humanitarian and cessation of hostilities). It fully supports the UN-led process, notably the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Syria facilitating the intra-Syrian negotiations.
EU response to the Syrian crisis
The High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini, upon invitation by the European Council, continues her outreach to key actors in the region on a political transition and on preparations for post-conflict reconciliation and reconstruction once a political transition is in place, in line with the work of the UN Special Envoy.
A negotiated settlement remains the only way of bringing the conflict to an end. We, therefore, call on all those countries with influence on the Syrian regime, as well as those engaged with armed opposition groups, to apply maximum pressure to cease the attacks, allow unhindered and continuous humanitarian access to those in need and resume political negotiations under the auspices of the UN in Geneva as swiftly as possible. This must be accompanied by progress on the issue of detainees and missing persons.
The resumption of fighting since the initial agreement on cessation of hostilities has again shown that there can be no military solution to the conflict, and that the elimination of Da’esh and other UN-listed terrorist entities in Syria also requires a political solution to the civil war. Stability in Syria will only be restored through a Syrian-led political process leading to a peaceful and inclusive transition, based on the principles of the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012 and in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions (notably 2254).
The latest EU position is laid out in the declaration on the situation in Aleppo by the High Representative on behalf of the EU published on 9 December 2016, as well as in the Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions on Syria adopted on 17 October 2016 and the European Council Conclusions of 15 December 2016.
The EU works collectively to:
– step up support to the Syrian opposition, and in particular the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), as the opposition delegation in the UN-brokered talks in Geneva, including through full use of the Comprehensive Syria Peace Initiative. We joined the ISSG chairs in urging the UN to prepare a proposal for political transition, based on relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and input given by the Syrian parties, including that issued by the High Negotiations Committee in September 2016.
– review the additional actions it can take to bring all parties to the negotiating table, and urge again all those with influence on the parties, notably the Syrian regime, to use this influence to encourage a constructive role in the process;
– support the efforts of the ISSG taskforce in revitalising and strengthening the cessation of hostilities as well as achieving a broader ceasefire;
– enhance its contribution to the ISSG humanitarian task force, while continuing humanitarian work on the ground, to ensure unhindered humanitarian access to those in need and the safety and ensure the protection and safety of civilians and aid workers alike;
– condemn excessive and disproportionate attacks against civilian populations and humanitarian and civilian infrastructure, as well as call for those who have violated international humanitarian law and human rights law to be held accountable;
– continue to support the Global Coalition’s actions to counter Da’esh in Syria and strongly condemn all indiscriminate attacks and atrocities perpetrated by Da’esh and other UN listed terrorist groups against the Syrian people;
– enhance its support to Syrian civil society starting in regions held by moderate opposition in areas such as local resilience, delivery of public services and local
governance, human rights and accountability, peace building, gender and minority issues, in order to enhance its capacity to participate in the transition and stabilisation of the country;
– seek to increase assistance, combining cross-border assistance with support from inside Syria and will aim at delivering aid as part of a larger effort to address the needs of the population all across Syria and build local resilience;
– step up its preparations for early engagement in the recovery and rehabilitation effort in Syria to rapidly provide support to stabilisation, reconstruction and the return of refugees when an inclusive political transition is under way.
The EU has called for an end to the unacceptable violence in Syria, which continues to cause the suffering of millions of Syrians and immeasurable destruction of infrastructure.
Attacks on cultural heritage are also an unfortunate consequence of the conflict. The EU continues to condemn in the strongest terms the continuing violence and the widespread and systematic violations of human rights. An EU statement at the Human Rights Council on the deteriorating situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic and the situation in Aleppo was delivered on 21 October.
The European Union has responded decisively to the violent repression of anti-government protests in Syria which began in March 2011, by suspending its cooperation with the Syrian Government under the European Neighbourhood Policy and gradually extending restrictive measures. The EU will continue its policy of imposing additional sanctions targeting the regime and its supporters, as long as repression continues. In May 2016, the Council extended EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime until 1 June 2017.
The sanctions currently in place include notably an oil embargo, restrictions on certain investments, a freeze of the assets of the Syrian central bank within the EU, export restrictions on equipment and technology that might be used for internal repression, as well as on equipment and technology for monitoring or interception of internet or telephone communications. In addition, 234 people and 69 entities are targeted by a travel ban and an asset freeze over the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria.
In response to the conflict in Syria and its consequences both in Syria and in neighbouring countries, a communication was adopted in June 2013 mapping out a comprehensive EU approach to the Syrian crisis. This was followed by the implementation by the EU and its Member States’ of a comprehensive EU regional strategy for Syria, Iraq and the Da’esh threat adopted in March 2015 and reviewed in May 2016.
The EU has also expressed its concerns about the involvement of extremist and foreign non-state actors in the fighting in Syria, which is further fuelling the conflict and posing a threat to regional stability. The Syria and Iraq: Counter Terrorism/Foreign Fighters Strategy was endorsed at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting of 20 October 2014.
The EU supports by non-military means the efforts by more than sixty States in the Global Coalition to counter Da’esh. The EU has been at the forefront of the work done to put Syrian chemical weapons under international control, to eventually lead to their destruction.
In March 2016, the EU provided funding of 4.6 million euros to the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) special missions in the Syrian Arab Republic, including activities related to the OPCW Fact Finding Mission and the Joint Investigative Mechanism (UNSCR 2235).
The fourth JIM report was published in October 2016.An EU statement in the OPCW was delivered on 11 October. The EU Delegation to Syria scaled down its activities for security reasons in late 2012, but the Delegation expatriate staffs continue to operate from Brussels and Beirut, carrying out regular missions to Damascus.
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