The European Union is weighing a broad upgrade in its ties with Syria, including security sector reform, investment and the revival of a long-frozen trade accord, as Brussels seeks to draw Damascus closer to Europe and counter lingering Russian influence. The plans are set out in a discussion paper prepared by the bloc's diplomatic service ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers on 16 November.

The paper sketches one of Brussels' most ambitious efforts yet to normalise relations with Syria, less than two years after the fall of Bashar al-Assad ended decades of authoritarian rule and reshaped alliances across the region. The EU's diplomatic service said that while Syria's transition is moving forward, challenges remain high and accelerated progress is needed on economic recovery, national reconciliation and the reintegration of internally displaced people and refugees.

Trade accord from 2008 could be revived

Among the most striking proposals in the document is a plan to revive an association agreement initialled in 2008 but never concluded, a move that would create a framework for free trade, political dialogue and broader cooperation between Brussels and Damascus. EU diplomats would seek a fresh mandate from member countries to negotiate revisions to the pact, and the document said the existing text could provide a basis for rapidly deepening ties.

On the economic front, the EU is seeking to reintegrate Syria into Euro-Mediterranean cooperation frameworks and global trade networks, with a focus on transport, energy and digital connectivity. An EU-led coordination forum scheduled for 17 November in Damascus will focus on investment and private sector engagement, laying the groundwork for a possible EU-Syria investment conference in 2027.

The proposed steps follow the resumption of the EU's 1978 cooperation agreement with Syria and the first high-level political dialogue between Brussels and Damascus in May. The EU has committed 620 million euros (718 million dollars) in support for Syria in 2026 and 2027, covering humanitarian assistance and socio-economic recovery, according to the bloc's diplomatic service.

Russia's role remains a concern

The document said Moscow's influence in Syria had diminished since Assad's fall, but its continued military presence and economic leverage remained a concern for Brussels. Russia's intervention in Syria's civil war helped keep Assad in power for years and secured Moscow a strategic foothold on the Mediterranean, and EU officials want to ensure that Damascus does not drift back into Russia's orbit as it rebuilds.

The EU's engagement with Syria has accelerated since the start of this year. In January, the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission travelled to Damascus to express support for an inclusive transition and to renew bilateral relations. A high-level political dialogue followed in May, co-chaired by the EU's foreign policy chief and Syria's foreign minister, at which the EU committed to continue strengthening bilateral relations and reintegrating Syria into the Euro-Mediterranean space.

Since 2011, the EU and its member states have mobilised around 41 billion euros in humanitarian, development, economic and stabilisation assistance supporting Syrians both inside the country and across the region. EU foreign ministers will discuss the new paper when they meet on 16 November, and any decision to open formal negotiations on the association agreement would require the backing of member states.

Sources: Reuters and the European External Action Service.