Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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15. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to advocate in the EU for the lifting of the sanctions on Syria, which are causing unnecessary hardship and suffering to ordinary Syrians. [48366/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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On 18 January 2012, the Council adopted a package of measures aimed at addressing the continued brutal repression and violation of human rights by the Government of Syria.

The measures currently in place against Syria include an oil embargo, restrictions on certain investments, a freeze of the assets of the Syrian central bank within the EU and export restrictions on equipment and technology that might be used for internal repression or interception of internet or telephone communications. There are no sanctions on food, medicines or most other civilian goods.

There are numerous barriers to humanitarian access in Syria as a result of actions by the parties to the conflict, particularly the Assad regime. I am confident that EU sanctions are not a barrier to the delivery of aid.

As stated in the EU’s Basic Principles on the Use of Restrictive Measures, “Sanctions should be targeted in a way that has maximum impact on those whose behaviour we want to influence. Targeting should reduce to the maximum extent possible any adverse humanitarian effects or unintended consequences for persons not targeted or neighbouring countries.” In order to minimise the adverse effects of sanctions, exemptions for essential civilian needs and for humanitarian assistance, have been introduced in certain sanctions regimes, such as the Syria sanctions regime.

On 29 May 2017, the Council extended EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime until 1 June 2018. This decision is in line with the EU strategy on Syria, which states that the EU will maintain its restrictive measures against the Syrian regime and its supporters as long as the repression of civilians continues.