ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS ON SYRIA

Having so far decided 16 times to impose sanctions on Syria, the EU is now aiming to ratchet up pressure on the Damascus administration with the 17th package of sanctions. The black list consisting of individuals and firms giving support to the Al Assad regime is expected to be expanded at the Brussels meeting. 26 more individuals, all of them high level figures implicated in the bloody crack-down of civilians, will be added onto the list as persons to have their assets frozen and banned from travelling to EU countries. At least two more companies financing the regime in Syria will be included in the list already consisting of 49 such establishments.

The most effective decision expected to come out of the meeting will be the supervision and control of ships and aircraft suspected of carrying munitions to Syria. The ships using the EU territorial waters will be checked and those sailing through international waters will also be searched with the permission of the country concerned. Syria-bound aircraft taking off from EU airports will also be searched against the possibility of them carrying weapons to the Al Assad regime.