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EU Supports Reforms, Governance in Lebanon

British Ambassador to Lebanon Cowell signing an MoU with Lebanese Army Chief General Joseph Aoun (NNA)
British Ambassador to Lebanon Cowell signing an MoU with Lebanese Army Chief General Joseph Aoun (NNA)
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EU Supports Reforms, Governance in Lebanon

British Ambassador to Lebanon Cowell signing an MoU with Lebanese Army Chief General Joseph Aoun (NNA)
British Ambassador to Lebanon Cowell signing an MoU with Lebanese Army Chief General Joseph Aoun (NNA)

The European Union (EU) allocated this year 229 million euros to reinforce much needed reforms and economic development in Lebanon.

It identified several priorities for this new financial package.

“The European Union continues to support Lebanon and its people during challenging socio-economic conditions,” the EU delegation to Lebanon said in a statement on Wednesday, affirming that it remains a committed partner of the country.

It pointed out that the first priority is to enhance good governance and support reforms.

The EU said it will “assist Lebanon in implementing reforms related to public administration focusing on integrity, transparency, and accountability, in line with the opportunities identified by the recent International Monetary Fund Staff-Level Agreement.”

“Our assistance will target civil service reform, public financial management reform and access to public information,” said the EU in a statement.

The EU will also work with state and civil society actors to empower Lebanese women and contribute to gender equality.

Being committed to supporting Lebanon on its reform agenda, the EU will further support the implementation of legislation to protect women from all forms of violence.

Moreover, the statement said: “Under the priority of promoting a green and sustainable recovery, the EU will support Lebanon's green agenda and transition to renewable energy,” adding that it will fund energy efficiency equipment in public sector buildings and contribute to a more efficient provision of public services.

“The EU will also focus on increasing the competitiveness of Lebanese industries, in particular the agro-food sector, by fostering entrepreneurship, innovation and technology transfers for sustainable energy solutions.”

The EU stressed that it will continue to provide significant assistance to vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian refugees and help them access much needed essential services in social protection, education, health, and water provision.

Meanwhile, British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell announced a 13 million pounds commitment to support the Lebanese Armed Forces’ (LAF) resilience from 2022 till 2025 in a memorandum of understanding signed with LAF Commander in Chief General Joseph Aoun.

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Arab World

EU Preparing to Appoint Envoy to Syria to Address Migration Crisis

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)
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EU Preparing to Appoint Envoy to Syria to Address Migration Crisis

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)

The European Union is preparing to appoint a special envoy to Syria, with officials from the Commission and the External Relations Department emphasizing that this move is not intended to “normalize relations with the regime” but rather to address the escalating migration crisis, which is expected to become increasingly complex after recent developments in Lebanon.

Lebanon has seen nearly a quarter of its population displaced, with many of their homes destroyed in border villages and parts of Beirut due to Israeli attacks.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in coordination with her Austrian counterpart, has been active in recent months, pushing the EU toward normalizing relations with Syria to facilitate the return of refugees.

However, some member states, led by France, have strongly opposed this approach, ultimately agreeing—after extensive negotiations within the European Council—to appoint a special envoy whose mandate is limited to addressing the refugee crisis.

The issue of refugees and displaced persons was central to Meloni’s recent discussions during her regional visit, with Beirut as her final stop. There, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged her to intervene to help resolve the crisis, which poses significant challenges as winter approaches.

In July, Italy, currently holding the G7 presidency, decided to appoint an envoy to Damascus to “shed light” on Syria, as Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani put it.

Italy had withdrawn all its diplomatic staff from Damascus in 2012 and suspended its diplomatic activities in Syria in protest against the “unacceptable violence” by Bashar al-Assad’s regime against its citizens, who were holding peaceful rallies against his rule.

Earlier this summer, Italy and seven other EU countries sent a letter to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, urging a more active European role in Syria to help return a number of Syrian refugees from EU countries, particularly Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia.

The signatories called for an end to the EU’s “three no’s” policy: no lifting of sanctions, no normalization, and no reconstruction under the current regime, emphasizing that peace in Syria is impossible as long as the current government remains in power.

Reports from the EU Migration Department indicate that Syrians continue to leave their country in significant numbers due to worsening economic conditions. Many Syrian refugees in Lebanon are also joining irregular migration routes to Europe, as living conditions have deteriorated in Lebanon in recent years. Italy, Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, and Slovakia signed the letter.

Most of these countries have recently reopened their embassies in Damascus, with Italy the only G7 nation, to resume diplomatic activities in the Syrian capital.

Italian sources have expressed concerns that Israel’s war on Lebanon could spill over into Syria or expand regionally, potentially triggering another large-scale migration crisis that the EU may not be prepared to handle under current conditions.

However, the new European policy, spearheaded by Italy amid the ongoing regional shifts, aims for a broader objective: enhancing the EU’s presence in Syria to compete with Russia, contain the Iranian regime, which has recently faced significant setbacks, and counter Türkiye's expanding influence.

Syria has been under sanctions from the United States, the EU, and several other countries since 2011.