Some European Union sanctions against Syria are being lifted, France's foreign minister said on Monday, as part of a broader EU move to help stabilise Damascus after the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad in December.

France is pushing to cut red tape at European Union level, calling for a "massive pause" in new EU regulations, a delay in rules requiring companies to report on their environmental footprint, and changes to even freshly passed laws.

France is lifting some sanctions against Syria, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told reporters on Monday as top diplomats from the European Union met in Brussels to discuss a coordinated

AI, biotech and affordable clean energy will be the focus of an EU drive to make the bloc globally competitive and ensure it keeps pace with rivals the United States and China, according to a draft European Commission paper seen by Reuters.

The European Union is set to scale back its highly contested ESG reporting requirements, as France prepares to unveil a formal proposal seeking to limit the scope of the regulatory framework.

The fledgling Paris government is “trying their best” to get a budget through parliament after a previous version sunk its predecessor.

France urges the EU to reduce bureaucratic delays and reconsider new regulations that impact competition with the U.S. The proposals, shared in a January 20 document, advocate delaying environmental reporting rules to enhance corporate growth and align with major global economies.

EU foreign ministers were in Brussels to discuss lifting some sanctions on Syria after the fall of Bashar Assad's regime. Foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc "aimed to move fast."

EU finance ministers on Tuesday formally approved France's multi-annual budget plan, despite its scaled-back ambitions to rein in the country's ballooning budget deficit this year.

The European Union has told France its plan for slower deficit reduction next year is still within the bloc’s rules, handing Francois Bayrou ’s government a reprieve in its battle to repair creaking public finances.

This is the second in our 2025 Year in Preview series examining important trends in white collar law and investigations in the coming year. We will