The European Union sent experts into Libya Sunday to get "real time" information on humanitarian and evacuation efforts, as diplomatic activity intensifies in Brussels and at the United Nations.
The EU's High Representative for foreign and security affairs, Catherine Ashton "has today sent a technical fact-finding mission to Libya -- the first international mission of its kind to the country since the recent violence," said a statement.
Ashton's team is led by Agostino Miozzo, who heads up the newly-formed EU External Action Service's crisis response division, and aims "to assess humanitarian and evacuation efforts on the ground in Libya to make an appraisal of what may be needed in terms of additional support."
Ashton said she wanted "first-hand, real-time information" to feed into proposals for a gathering of EU foreign ministers on Thursday and the EU extraordinary summit meeting of leaders tackling events in Libya and the surrounding area on Friday morning.
A set of new proposals on what the EU could offer in terms of economic assistance, support for human rights and good governance, as well as "reinforced trade relations and measures for increased mobility" will be published by the European Commission on Tuesday. This will feed into the Foreign Ministers meeting on Thursday evening and the EU summit.
EU leaders are also to discuss the extension of sanctions against the Kadhafi regime, with a handful of countries led by Italy reluctant to go beyond the already agreed travel bans, assets freeze and arms embargo.
Several big EU states are pushing for the imposition through the UN of a no-fly zone over Libya, as veteran leader Moamer Kadhafi pounds rebel strongholds in a bid to hold onto power.
However, with NATO Defence Ministers also assembling in Brussels this week alongside EU Foreign Ministers and Heads of state or government, France's new Foreign Minister warned Sunday that international military action would have "absolutely negative" effects.
"France, as well as many of its partners, is not in favour of any Western military intervention in Libya, which would have absolutely negative effects," Alain Juppe told a news conference in Cairo.
The UN Security Council has already ordered a travel ban and assets freeze against Kadhafi and his entourage, as well as an investigation into whether crimes against humanity have been committed in a crackdown on an anti-regime uprising.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called Sunday for new sanctions against Kadhafi's regime.
"Financial flows (towards Libya) must be blocked," Westerwelle told the Welt am Sonntag in an interview published Sunday.
According to a European diplomat, the EU mission -- which left Rome on an Italian government airccraft -- is not in Libya to negotiate with the authorities.
Until now, official EU-level staff have not been able to get further than Libya's western border with Tunisia.
The European Parliament, which holds its monthly plenary session in Strasbourg, will also have Libya high on its agenda. Catherine Ashton is to attend a debate with the MEPs followed on Thursday by a vote of the parliament on a resolution on the issue. Ashton is also expected to be questioned on Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.