Lebanon

The crisis in Lebanon

Against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis and hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, the EU stands with the people of Lebanon and supports the Lebanese government’s reform efforts to:

stabilise the economic and security situation
exercise its sovereignty over its whole territory
establish a state monopoly on arms

The European Council strongly condemns Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel and the civilian
population in northern Israel and calls for the full disarmament of Hezbollah.

The EU backs the Lebanese government’s work to strengthen the country’s institutions, including the Lebanese armed forces, to help them gain control over the entire Lebanese territory and to establish a state monopoly on holding weapons.

In line with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2790, the EU expresses its strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, stability and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognised borders.

The EU is committed to collaborating with the Lebanese government, institutions and civil society to enhance the country's political, economic and security landscape, and to help Lebanon navigate the multiple challenges – domestic, regional and global – it faces.

United Nations Security Council resolution 2790

Israel-Hezbollah conflict

On 2 July 2026, the EU welcomed the framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel in Washington, which called for the disarmament of Hezbollah enabling Israel to progressively redeploy its armed forces out of Lebanese territory.

The agreement offers a much-needed way forward in the efforts towards de-escalation and peace, and towards restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The EU calls for a permanent end to hostilities and full compliance with international law, including international humanitarian law. This includes the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The EU reiterates that any lasting solution must be anchored in the implementation of UNSC resolution 1701.

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

The EU fully supports the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and strongly condemns all attacks against its personnel. The killing of peacekeepers is a violation of international law and must be met with full accountability.

The current mandate of UNIFIL expires on 31 December 2026. A continued UN presence in Lebanon in the post-UNIFIL setting remains essential to ensure the implementation of UNSC resolution 1701. The EU stands ready to contribute to that in 2027.

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

EU-Lebanon partnership

Relations between the EU and Lebanon are based on the EU-Lebanon Association Agreement, which entered into force in April 2006.

The EU-Lebanon partnership priorities, adopted at the EU-Lebanon Association Council on 11 November 2016, guide the relationship between Lebanon and the EU and are based on five priority areas:

security and countering terrorism
governance and the rule of law
fostering growth and job opportunities
migration and mobility
mechanisms for dialogue and mutual coordination

At the ninth EU-Lebanon Association Council, which took place on 15 December 2025, the EU affirmed its readiness to assess options to modernise the Association Agreement, and to explore possibilities to elevate its relations with Lebanon to the level of a strategic and comprehensive partnership, pending concrete progress on structural reforms.

Trade relations

The free trade area (FTA) under the EU-Lebanon Association Agreement grants preferential treatment to Lebanese exports to the EU, especially industrial and agricultural products.

The European Union is Lebanon’s top trading partner by far, accounting for almost 28% of its trade in goods. In 2025, trade in goods between the EU and Lebanon was worth €6.1 billion. EU exports to Lebanon (€5.5 billion) greatly exceeded EU imports from Lebanon (€0.6 bn).

The EU’s main exports to Lebanon are petroleum, agricultural products and machinery.

Financial assistance

The EU’s total assistance to Lebanon since 2011 amounts to more than €3.5 billion, including funding for the response to the Syrian crisis and related support for refugees from Syria and vulnerable Lebanese people.

In May 2024, the EU adopted a landmark €1 billion package for Lebanon covering the period 2024-2027. The first tranche of €500 million was approved in August 2024 and covers reforms, security sector support, basic services, private sector resilience, and humanitarian needs. The second tranche of €500 million is under preparation for 2026-2027.

EU assistance to Lebanon is primarily funded through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE) for the period 2021 to 2027.

Humanitarian aid

According to the United Nations, around 3 million people urgently need humanitarian assistance in Lebanon, including vulnerable Lebanese citizens, and Palestinian and Syrian refugees. More than 2.3 million of these people are food insecure.

The escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah displaced over 1 million people and has further increased humanitarian needs across the country. Children have been particularly affected. The health and education system and other essential services in Lebanon have been disrupted and put under severe strain.

Lebanon hosts one of the highest numbers of refugees per capita in the world, while continuing to grapple with the effects of prolonged economic and financial crises.

Since 2011, the EU has allocated over €1 billion in humanitarian aid to respond to the urgent needs of vulnerable populations. In 2026, the EU is providing €100 million in humanitarian aid to Lebanon.

The EU and its member states collectively provided around 45% of reported donor funding to Lebanon in 2025, making Team Europe by far the largest humanitarian donor bloc to Lebanon. Aid is delivered to vulnerable Lebanese and refugees through a network of humanitarian partners including UN agencies and NGOs.

EU humanitarian funding supports vulnerable populations with:

food and basic needs
healthcare
shelter
education in emergencies
cash assistance
protection and legal assistance

The EU has also organised EU humanitarian air bridge flights since the escalation in 2026, delivering essential humanitarian supplies provided by the EU, member states and humanitarian partners.

Support for the Lebanese armed forces

Since 2022, the EU has provided assistance worth €182 million to the Lebanese armed forces through the European Peace Facility (EPF).

The latest EPF assistance measure (€100 million) was adopted by the Council on 4 June 2026. This support package is designed to enhance the capabilities of the Lebanese armed forces across five key domains: territorial control, multi-domain awareness, maritime security, protection of critical military sites, and healthcare.

Overall, EPF assistance aims to help strengthen the Lebanese armed forces’ capacities to monitor, control and secure Lebanon’s territory, as well as to uphold the state’s monopoly on arms and ensure civilians are protected.