Brussels, 17/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - In response to the upsurge of criticism from opponents of the regime under Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko last week, the EU is extending the list of sanctions adopted towards the Belarusian authorities (see EUROPE 10379). Work undertaken by the EU aims to extend the list of individuals subject to an assets freeze and visa ban to include judges and prosecutors directly concerned by the disapproval voiced. Furthermore, EU ambassadors are preparing economic sanctions which, according to press reports, would be applied, inter alia, on companies that produce equipment that can be used for the crackdown on demonstrators, as well as on companies linked to officials of the regime. Some 160 individuals, including President Lukashenko himself, already appear on the list of those targeted by sanctions reintroduced by the EU in January this year after the violent repression by the government of demonstrations following the presidential election on 19 December (see EUROPE 10305). The list was then extended to another 19 persons. A number of member states (in particular Italy and Cyprus), however, voiced opposition when extending the list to the introduction of economic sanctions proposed by Poland and Sweden, among others, and backed by most member states. According to our sources, this blocking minority with regard to economic sanctions persists. The extent of sanctions adopted by the 27 EU member states therefore remains unknown. Ideally, the foreign ministers will be responsible for taking the decision on sanctions, but the item has not yet been included on the official Council agenda. (A.By./transl.jl)