On the situation in Northeast Syria, the violence against civilians and the need to maintain a sustainable ceasefire
B-10-2026-0137
on behalf of the ECR Group · Rapporteur: Adam Bielan, Laurence Trochu, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Alexandr Vondra, Assita Kanko, Carlo Fidanza, Alberico Gambino, BertJan Ruissen, Veronika Vrecionová, Ondřej Krutílek, Aurelijus Veryga, Marion Maréchal, Nicolas Bay, Guillaume Peltier, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Charlie Weimers, Beatrice Timgren, Dick Erixon, Ivaylo Valchev, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Marlena Maląg
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Parliament's resolution on Northeast Syria calls for a full end to fighting between Damascus forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and for the 30 January 2026 ceasefire to become permanent.¶¶ It condemns attacks on religious and ethnic communities and asks the transitional authorities to control violent factions and base security appointments on human rights and counter-terrorism commitments.¶¶ It warns that escaped Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters, including EU citizens, threaten Europe, and calls for joint efforts to track them and keep fighting ISIS.¶¶¶ It says EU financial support for the interim government must depend on protecting human rights, especially those of minorities, and calls for free elections once the situation returns to normal.¶¶
Key points
- Calls for a comprehensive cessation of hostilities between the Damascus forces and the SDF.¶
- Strongly condemns all attacks targeting religious and ethnic communities in Syria.¶
- Takes note of the 30 January 2026 agreement between the transitional authorities and the SDF, calls on all parties to respect and implement it, welcomes humanitarian corridors, and says the ceasefire must become permanent.¶
- Says stability in north-east Syria is key to an inclusive political transition that respects the life, rights and dignity of all Syrians regardless of background.¶
- Deplores that many Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) members with grave human rights records hold roles in the transitional administration, and calls on the authorities to rein in violent factions and base military and security appointments on qualifications, human rights and counter-terrorism.¶
- Recognises the involvement of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States in the negotiations, and says the agreement remains fragile without security guarantees and credible monitoring.¶
- Notes uncertainty around the deployment of regime forces in Kurdish autonomous areas and prison escapes, and considers ISIS fighters a major threat to Syria, its neighbours and Europe.¶
- Calls for continuing and enhancing the fight against ISIS, warns against a security vacuum around detention centres, and welcomes the lifting of sectoral sanctions by the United States and the EU and work on updating UN sanctions.¶
- Reiterates the sovereign right of member states to refuse the return of jihadist fighters and their families and to revoke their citizenship.¶
- Calls on the EU, member states and international partners to establish how many ISIS fighters or supporters escaped or were released from Kurdish prisons, especially those with European nationality, and to step up cooperation against the threat.¶
- Emphasises the urgent need to protect religious minorities including Christians, Kurds, Druze and Alawites, guarantee their security, right to remain and religious freedom, ensure accountability for sectarian violence, and make EU financial support conditional on human rights protection.¶
- Regrets the transitional interim government's lack of democratic legitimacy and says free and fair elections must be organised as soon as the situation returns to normal.¶
Who is affected
- The Syrian transitional interim government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are called on to respect and implement the ceasefire agreement.¶
- Religious and ethnic minorities in Syria, including Christians, Kurds, Druze and Alawites, whose security and rights the resolution seeks to protect.¶
- EU member states, which are asked to cooperate on tracking escaped ISIS fighters and retain the right to refuse returns and revoke citizenship.¶¶
- The Commission, which is asked to make EU financial support for the interim government conditional on human rights protection.¶
Figures and deadlines
- Around EUR 620 million pledged by the Commission President and the European Council President for 2026 and 2027.¶
- 31 December 2025 deadline in the 10 March 2025 agreement between Ahmed al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi.¶
- Ceasefire agreement between the Syrian transitional authorities and the SDF reached on 30 January 2026.
- At least 25 killed and over 60 injured in the June 2025 suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church in Damascus.¶
- Between 25 and 35 million Kurds inhabit a region straddling Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia.¶
- The Assad regime fell in December 2024, ending 50 years of Baathist rule.¶