Brussels, 14/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - Experts from all 27 member states, meeting in Brussels, have been discussing the possible tightening of sanctions against the Syrian regime. Political agreement has been reached on banning new investment in the Syrian oil sector, AFP quotes European diplomats as saying. The ban will also target Syrian companies operating abroad. It bans all loans, purchases of shares of creation of joint ventures with the Syrian oil sector. The ban refers only to new investment and, so, could spare older investment.
The experts also agreed to add five more firms to the list of companies whose assets have been frozen in the EU, and are still discussing adding further individuals and companies.
Other sanctions, such as banning the supply of bank notes printed in Europe to the central bank, could follow. This would affect German, Belgian and Austrian companies.
This package of measures is the seventh in a raft of sanctions against Syria and comes on top of the European embargo on imports of and trading in Syrian oil. It could be adopted at the start of next week.
At the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Polish Secretary of State for European Affairs Mikolaj Dowgielewicz and MEPs also called for further sanctions against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. “The EU is Syria's largest trading partner. We have to force the economic elite to make a choice: doing business means breaking with Bashar al-Assad”, said Marietje Schaake (ALDE, Netherlands). Green MEP Ulrike Lunacek (Austria) also called for oil sanctions and regretted that the majority of the Parliament had not voted for a ban on investment in Syrian oil. “We can demand that they do not deal with a regime as harsh as this”, she argued.
MEPs also criticised what they consider to be the international community's failure to become involved. “The situation is intolerable. How much longer will we have to wait before the international community stops looking on? The EU has beefed up its sanctions, but the time has come - we have to negotiate with China and Russia. It took five months for the Arab League to take the initiative”, stated Ioannis Kasoulides (EPP, Cyprus). Richard Howitt (S&D, UK) said that the EP should call for an investigation, for involvement of the international criminal court, and should be active in the UN. It should, he went on, strongly condemn the violence. The Arab League should take action to bring pressure to bear on the authorities, he added.
The future of Syria was also discussed. “Those who can provide a better future have to be encouraged. They have to commit and unite. There has to be a peaceful transition towards democracy”, Dowgielewicz said. (C-C.G./transl.rt)