E.U. to Cautiously Pare Back Sanctions on Syria

European Union foreign ministers will lift some sanctions on Syria, the bloc’s top diplomat said on Monday, a move intended to give Syria’s new government some economic breathing room after more than a decade of stiff restrictions.
The European Union imposed sweeping trade limitations on Syria when it was under the control of President Bashar al-Assad, but after his ouster in December, it has decided to roll those back in stages.
“Today we reached the political agreement to begin easing sanctions on Syria,” the diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said after the meeting of foreign ministers on Monday. “This could give a boost to the Syrian economy and help the country get back on its feet.”
The goal is to give the Syria’s new government some relief while also allowing time to determine whether the new Syrian power structure under the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham will evolve in a way that is consistent with E.U. values.
“While we aim to move fast, we also are ready to reverse the course if the situation worsens,” Ms. Kallas said.
Sanctions on Syria have included an oil and arms embargo, export and import restrictions on some technology and strict financial limitations. Paring them back is likely to be a delicate process.
That’s because Europe is still assessing the rise to power of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a name that means Organization for the Liberation of the Levant. The group is a former affiliate of Al Qaeda, though it broke away years ago. But many Western countries still consider Hayat Tahrir al-Sham a terrorist group, and they are watching its actions warily.
The United States, for instance, has eased restrictions on humanitarian aid to Syria and has let up on some financial sanctions in an effort to enable essential services, but it has left many other limitations in place as it waits to see how the new government shapes up.
Brussels is also being cautious. Ms. Kallas told reporters earlier on Monday that the European Union was “ready to open” its embassy in Damascus, “to really have our eyes and ears on the ground.”
Monday’s agreement to roll back sanctions must now be worked out at a detailed level, Ms. Kallas said, emphasizing that today’s decision was a sign of the political direction — and that the changes would be gradual. She said the sanctions that will be rolled back first are those that will help with rebuilding.
“What we are not relieving, of course, is anything related to arms and arm dealing,” she said. “Right now, we have a political decision, we have a road map, we have a step-for-step approach.”
Syria conducts very little trade with Europe currently, largely because of a sweeping sanctions program that the European Union started to construct shortly after an uprising that started in 2011 against decades of authoritarian rule by the Assad family.
The Assad family — Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father, Hafez, who came to power in 1971 — built up a vast security state with secret police and prison networks notorious for brutal torture tactics against political opponents.
During the uprising, rights groups warned that those prisons had become mass extermination sites, where thousands of detainees were killed.
As the rebellion devolved into civil war, Mr. al-Assad’s military unleashed heavy bombardments on cities across the country, including by using chemical weapons, and imposed monthslong sieges.
The campaign forced a vast displacement of Syrians across the country and led millions to seek refuge abroad. Around one million went to Europe.
Since the fall of Mr. al-Assad, E.U. leaders have emphasized that Syria’s new government must respect human rights while resisting terrorism.
The European foreign ministers discussed a range of other issues on Monday, including European relationships with the United States, and renewed sanctions on Russia.