Brussels, 22/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in Brussels on Monday, EU foreign ministers welcomed the unanimous adoption on 23 December 2006 of UN Security Council Resolution 1737. Council Conclusions state that this decision comes as a “necessary and proportionate response” to the fact that Iran has not taken the concerns of the international community into account, or Resolution 1696. Welcoming the measures foreseen on the most sensitive chapters of the Iranian nuclear and ballistic programmes, the External Relations Council called on the EU27 to implement these chapters “in full and without delay”. To ensure that these measures are indeed implemented, ministers agreed that the Union should: - prevent the export to, and import from, Iran of the goods on the NSG (nuclear supplier groups) and MTCR (missile technology control regime) lists; - ban transactions with, and freeze the assets of, individuals and entities covered by the criteria in UNSCR 1737; - ban travel to the EU of the individuals covered by these criteria; - and take measures to prevent Iranian nationals from studying proliferation sensitive subjects within the EU. Confirming their attachment to a “negotiated long-term solution”, ministers welcome the fact, moreover, that the Security Council had, in order to open the way to negotiations, foreseen suspending application of the measures “if and for as long as Iran suspends all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities” under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). On the other hand, in the absence of Iranian compliance, the EU27 recall that Resolution 1737 provides for the adoption, under Article 41 of Chapter VII of the UN Charter, of “further measures (…) in order to persuade Iran to fully comply with the Security Council's Resolutions and the requirements of the IAEA Board of Governors”. Reaffirming their commitment to a "negotiated solution", the ministers also welcome the fact that the Security Council had planned to suspend the application of the measures planned if Iran suspends all activities related to the enrichment and reprocessing of uranium under the aegis of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in order to pave the way for negotiations. Should Teheran, however, not apply the resolution, the Twenty-Seven reiterate that resolution 1737 provides for the adoption, under article 41 of chapter VII of the UN Charter, of "any other measures which may be required to persuade Iran to come into line with the resolutions of the Security Council and the requirements of the IAEA". (eh)