The twenty-seven European states have agreed, Friday, May 6, punish 14 members of the Syrian regime, excluding the immediate President Bashar Al-Assad. These sanctions would include a freeze on assets and visa bans against those leaders. The principle of an embargo on arms and equipment of repression is also acquired.
The agreement reached by the ambassadors of Twenty-Seven in Brussels has yet to be formally endorsed by governments and opens the way for entry into force of an initial package of sanctions against the Syrian regime by Tuesday, has said a European diplomat. But the bloc also agreed to "work without delay to additional restrictive measures for those responsible for violent repression against civilians, and particularly to examine the full inclusion on the list of the highest level Syrian leadership "said one diplomat.
Europeans follow the way opened by the United States, which announced on May 4 economic sanctions against several officials and administrative units of the Syrian regime because of "violations of human rights in Syria." They are the younger brother of President Bashar Al-Assad Maher, a Syrian army officer, and Ali Mamlouk, head of intelligence, and Atef Najib, described as the former intelligence chief for the province of Deraa epicenter located in the south of protest against the regime.
While France was pleading for targeted sanctions against the Syrian president, other European countries were, however, advocates of a more gradual approach. The greatest resistance came from Cyprus and Estonia, the latter being particularly worried about the hostages held in Lebanon. Spain, Italy and Greece have also been more cautious.
Britain and Germany were also in favor of the French line, but agree to retain all the proposed measures. Last week, twenty-seven ambassadors had already agreed on the principle of establishing an embargo on arms, instructed their experts to develop the detail. They had on this occasion also announced their agreement in principle to review their policy of cooperation with the Syrian regime and to withdraw their offer to sign an association agreement between Syria and the EU, which would have given particular commercial benefits to Damascus. 
The agreement reached by the ambassadors of Twenty-Seven in Brussels has yet to be formally endorsed by governments and opens the way for entry into force of an initial package of sanctions against the Syrian regime by Tuesday, has said a European diplomat. But the bloc also agreed to "work without delay to additional restrictive measures for those responsible for violent repression against civilians, and particularly to examine the full inclusion on the list of the highest level Syrian leadership "said one diplomat.
Europeans follow the way opened by the United States, which announced on May 4 economic sanctions against several officials and administrative units of the Syrian regime because of "violations of human rights in Syria." They are the younger brother of President Bashar Al-Assad Maher, a Syrian army officer, and Ali Mamlouk, head of intelligence, and Atef Najib, described as the former intelligence chief for the province of Deraa epicenter located in the south of protest against the regime.
While France was pleading for targeted sanctions against the Syrian president, other European countries were, however, advocates of a more gradual approach. The greatest resistance came from Cyprus and Estonia, the latter being particularly worried about the hostages held in Lebanon. Spain, Italy and Greece have also been more cautious.
Britain and Germany were also in favor of the French line, but agree to retain all the proposed measures. Last week, twenty-seven ambassadors had already agreed on the principle of establishing an embargo on arms, instructed their experts to develop the detail. They had on this occasion also announced their agreement in principle to review their policy of cooperation with the Syrian regime and to withdraw their offer to sign an association agreement between Syria and the EU, which would have given particular commercial benefits to Damascus.
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