16/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - EU28 amend restrictive measures. On 13 December, the Council of the EU adopted several amendments to the EU restrictive measures against Syria. The ministers thus authorised the import or transport of chemical weapons or related material from Syria into the EU “if such movements are in support of the work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons”. Conversely, the Council prohibits the export of goods and articles of archaeological, cultural and religious importance, which have been illegally removed from Syria since the outbreak of the crisis. Lastly, the Council took measures to require that where frozen funds or economic resources are unfrozen to provide humanitarian assistance, this will be done to ensure humanitarian benefit and safeguard against the risk of misuse by releasing these to the United Nations for delivery of assistance in Syria under the Syria humanitarian assistance response plan (SHARP). (CG/transl.fl)