The European Union has donated €12 million to finance the destruction of chemicals from Syria’s chemical weapons programme that are to be destroyed outside the country at commercial facilities.

The donation was formalised at a contract signing ceremony today in Brussels with the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, and the EU Development Commissioner, Mr Andris Piebalgs.

The EU funds will add to the €22.7 million in voluntary contributions that have been pledged to the Syria Trust Fund by OPCW States Parties.

“On behalf of the OPCW, I wish to express appreciation to the European Union for this generous support, which will help enable the OPCW to ensure the destruction of Syria’s chemicals within the agreed timelines,” the Director-General said.

For more details on the OPCW’s activities in Syria, visit our special web page at: http://www.opcw.org/news-room/syria-and-the-opcw/