On a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning reconstruction efforts as part of a comprehensive peace process amid shifting paradigms in the broader Middle East

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RECOMMENDATION

to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning reconstruction efforts as part of a comprehensive peace process amid shifting paradigms in the broader Middle East

(2026/2043(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to all relevant European Council conclusions,

– having regard to the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly,

– having regard to its resolution of 21 January 2026 on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2025,

– having regard to its recommendation of 20 May 2026 to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on the Middle East peace process,

– having regard to Rule 121 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A100000/2026),

A. whereas the broader Middle East has been repeatedly shaken by violence, war, military conflicts, regional escalations and turbulence causing massive destruction not only of physical infrastructure but also of trust, peace and security;

B. whereas reconstruction efforts in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon are closely interconnected and require coordinated, transparent and accountable international support;

C. whereas reconstruction must not be understood solely as the rebuilding of physical infrastructure, but also as an opportunity to establish a new and sustainable regional political architecture rooted in peace and security;

D. whereas sustainable reconstruction requires a shift from a predominantly aid-based model towards economic empowerment, investment, trade, connectivity and stronger regional economic interdependence;

E. whereas the paradigms are rapidly shifting in the region; whereas achieving regional peace and stability require active engagement by regional actors and stronger partnerships between key countries and institutions;

F. whereas the role of the United States as the guarantor of security in the Middle East is shifting; whereas the Gulf is increasingly becoming the centre of gravity in the region; whereas Iran’s destabilising influence in the region has been severely disrupted; whereas Iran’s network of proxies, its ‘axis’, has also been diminished; whereas Iran nevertheless continues to destabilise the region both through direct acts of aggression and through its proxies;

G. whereas prior to October 2023, the Abraham Accords had led to a degree of diplomatic normalisation between Israel and certain Arab states; whereas developments since October 2023 have significantly shifted the security and diplomatic architecture of the Middle East;

H. whereas the EU is at serious risk of being left out of the most important discussions regarding peace and reconstruction in the Middle East;

I. whereas the EU leads the Palestine Donor Group as a primary international forum to coordinate financial and political support for Palestinian governance and recovery; whereas in July 2026, the Commission put forward the Team Gaza Initiative and an initial recovery package, which brings together international partners to restore essential services and support early recovery in Gaza;

J. whereas the EU should work closely with regional and international partners to ensure that these efforts complement rather than duplicate one another and contribute to the full demilitarisation of any radical forces or organisations and to a coherent, adequately financed and accountable reconstruction process; whereas such efforts should be based on effective Palestinian ownership, transparent and accountable governance, adequate humanitarian access, the fulfilment of the necessary security and political conditions, and the objective of achieving a lasting political settlement based on the two-state solution that also guarantees Israel’s security;

1. Recommends that the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy:

Guiding principles

(a) approach EU support to reconstruction as an opportunity to strengthen the EU’s political influence in shaping a sustainable regional political and economic order rooted in peace and security;

(b) ensure that EU engagement is driven by long-term political, economic and strategic interests rather than by individual projects considered in isolation;

(c) coordinate EU reconstruction efforts closely with key partners in the region and beyond;

(d) promote common standards for transparency, procurement and financial oversight, and ensure that EU-supported reconstruction funding is subject to sound financial management; ensure that the use of EU funds fully respects the principles and values of the EU and does not contribute to non-peaceful purposes;

(e) report regularly to Parliament;

Reconstruction and economic transformation

(f) ensure that EU support for reconstruction goes beyond restoring what has been destroyed and contributes to institutional and political reconstruction and the creation of dynamic, diversified and resilient economies;

(g) prioritise projects and investments that restore local productive capacity, create decent jobs, facilitate the transfer of technology and skills, strengthen essential economic infrastructure and lay the foundations for sustainable private-sector-led growth, while ensuring that reconstruction responds to local needs and does not deepen existing inequalities;

(h) ensure that reconstruction and economic development programmes are developed with meaningful participation from civil society organisations and local authorities;

(i) strengthen EU support to promote greater economic integration between countries in the region and to promote transport, energy, digital and trade connectivity;

(j) engage actively with existing and emerging initiatives, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, while supporting complementary regional projects that can strengthen connections between the Gulf, the Levant, the Mediterranean and Europe;

(k) develop new and more diversified energy partnerships to reduce the vulnerability of both the EU and countries in the region to disruptions caused by conflict, geopolitical tensions or damage to critical infrastructure;

(l) propose reinforcing the Southern Neighbourhood under Heading 6 of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), as well as the Global Europe instrument under Heading 3 of the next multiannual financial framework (MFF), with stable, adequate and predictable funding for the reconstruction of Gaza, Lebanon and Syria with the aim of ensuring consistent, transparent, streamlined and predictable EU support;

(m) ensure that any disbursement from the EU budget to non-EU countries is conditional on respect for the rule of law, human rights, democratic principles and international law; ensure full transparency, accountability and continued reforms in the delivery of EU-funded assistance while maintaining comprehensive anti-corruption measures;

A comprehensive peace process

(n) insist that reconstruction cannot be separated from a comprehensive peace process; reaffirm the EU’s commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution within the 1967 borders and with Jerusalem as a shared capital, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, with two sovereign, democratic states living side by side in peace, within secure and recognised borders;

(o) stress that respect for international humanitarian law, the protection of civilians and sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access, as well as the ability of the UN and humanitarian organisations to operate independently, impartially and effectively, are essential conditions for any comprehensive peace process and for sustainable reconstruction;

(p) underline how Iran’s activities across the broader region remain a major obstacle to any meaningful peace and reconstruction process; stress that reducing Iran’s influence is crucial to working towards a new regional architecture rooted in peace and security;

(q) ensure that the reintegration of the Palestinian Authority into the governance of Gaza is a central criterion when assessing any reconstruction architecture for Gaza; reiterate calls for the permanent disarmament of Hamas and other non-state armed groups and the establishment of the necessary security arrangements for effective Palestinian governance, civilian protection and sustainable reconstruction;

(r) work to preserve the EU’s capacity to act as a credible partner in a context where the regional balance of power is evolving and the role of regional and external actors and other key international partners is growing;

(s) support the strengthening of the Palestinian Authority and the territorial contiguity of the West Bank as fundamental prerequisites for a sustainable long-term peace process that leads to the two-state solution;

(t) condemn the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, recalling the EU’s long-standing position that these remain illegal under international law and constitute a unilateral measure that undermines trust and the prospect of a negotiated solution;

(u) ensure that the EU engages constructively with international partners while ensuring that governance gradually becomes as Palestinian-led and Palestinian-owned as possible, anchored in the UN framework;

(v) recognise efforts to promote and expand regional normalisation, including those made by certain Arab states and Israel to normalise diplomatic relations under the Abraham Accords;

2. Instructs its President to forward this recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.