European Union

 

Who:

  • Political and economic partnership between 28 European nations

Overview:

  • Most EU member states are a part of NATO
  • The EU continuously promotes regional cooperation and stability with Middle East and North African nations (ENP)

Priorities:

  • Encourages the end of the conflict in Syria and seeks a political solution to the conflict
  • Promotes respect for the human rights of the Syrian Population
  • Seeks an EU wide approach to the influx of asylum seekers in the region and in Europe

Support:

  • The United Nations
  • Western Powers
  • Syrian National Coalition
  • Other groups that support the Syrian rebels such as Turkey and the Gulf Arab States

Political Associations:

  • Two EU nations are permanent members of the UN Security Council
  • The Foreign Affairs Council is made up of foreign ministers from all EU members and is chaired by High Representative (of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) Federica Mogherini. Together they represent the EU’s common foreign policy goals.
  • EU-Syria bilateral relations were established in the 1977 Cooperation Agreement, which has since then been suspended because of the conflict
  • The ongoing internal repression in Syria has also led to economic sanctions

Criticisms:

  • EU members are divided on how to address the refugee crisis. In general, with the different circumstances of EU nations, finding common ground on handling the Syria refugee crisis as a whole is difficult.
  • Nationalist political parties have found increased support in many states in response to the influx of refugees and fear of terrorism
  • There has been a rise of nationalist movements throughot the EU in the midst of the refugee crisis
  • The Dublin Agreement unevenly distributes responsibility for asylum seekers.
  • Some EU members support Syrian opposition groups that are considered extremists