ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the EU engagement with Syria at different stages. Before the conflict the engagement was marred with the challenge of engaging with an authoritarian state where the ultimate goal is state security not human security. After the conflict, the challenges multiplied as a result of the use of excessive violence by the regime against civilians. The EU suspended almost all engagement and imposed extensive sanctions that contributed to the deterioration of human and economic security, accelerated the war economy and pushed the Syrian regime further towards its external backers. More recently, the EU has assumed a more active role in Syria as it considers potential reengagement and funding for reconstruction, should a political process begin. This chapter argues that EU Syria policies could be more effective within the framework of second-generation human security as a state focused approach risks entrenching authoritarianism and empowering crony capitalists. This requires an emphasis on building political legitimacy and ensuring an inclusive political settlement that brings structural change to the distribution of power, aiding the development of legitimate economy and helping to construct inclusive, accountable and effective institutions with the capacity to carry out reconstruction.
