EU to hit Syrian central bank, ministers, flights with sanctions

Feb 23, 2012, 11:17 GMT

Brussels - The European Union is poised to slap sanctions on the Syrian central bank, seven government ministers, cargo flights from the country, and its trade in precious metals to turn up the pressure on the regime, a senior EU official said Thursday.

The new restrictive measures are expected to be approved by the bloc's 27 foreign ministers on Monday in hopes of pressuring Syria's government to come to the peace table with internal groups rebelling against the government.

'It is clear that the ever more dramatic events on the ground ... are creating the impression in the public domain that this situation can not go on,' the official - who asked not to be named - said, pointing to the high-profile deaths of two Western journalists on Wednesday.

The seven Syrian ministers are to be hit with travel bans and asset freezes, while the Syrian Central Bank will no longer have access to any funds it may hold in the EU.

Syrian-operated flights carrying only cargo will also no longer be allowed to land in the EU. Businesses in the bloc will additionally be prohibited from engaging in trades in gold, precious metals and diamonds with Syrian public bodies.

A proposal to block the country's phosphate exports, however, has been dropped because of opposition from one EU member state. Diplomats declined to identify the country in question.

But one diplomat said that overall there was 'a surprising degree of unanimity that we actually should take quite tough decisions on Syria.'

The Syrian regime has so far been undeterred by international sanctions, carrying on with a deadly crackdown on government opponents. The United Nations estimates that more than 5,400 people have died in the violence, which has entered its 12th month.

Ministers were expected on Monday to also discuss ways of funnelling more humanitarian aid into the country.

One idea emerging as a front-runner is a Red Cross proposal for setting up daily ceasefires of a few hours to allow for the transport of humanitarian aid, the EU source said. The measure would, however, require the approval of the Syrian government.

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