The European Union has agreed to impose sanctions against Syria for its brutal repression on anti-government protesters.
The measures include a travel ban and asset freeze on members of President Bashar al-Assad's regime considered responsible for the crackdown, but not the president's family or officials' family members.
The EU’s 27 ambassador also agreed to stop arms exports and exports of non-lethal equipment which can be used for the repression.
The EU is to freeze any direct payments going to the al-Assad regime from its 40 million euros aid programme to the country and to freeze negotiations on an EU-Syria political 'association' agreement.
Speaking hours before Friday’s ambassadors meeting in Brussels, Pierre Vimont, secretary-general of the EU's foreign service, said: "There is a rather large agreement that something should be done to send the right message."
"It's not sanctions for the sake of sanctions," he said. "It's to try to get a message through to Damascus that they should stop the repression and go back to the right path of dialogue with their opposition."
The EU is Syria's main trade partner, with bilateral trade accounting for some 23 percent of Syria's trade and representing 5.4 billion euros in 2009.
Targeted sanctions such as travel bans and asset freezes against "senior members of the regime involved in the repression" will also be considered along with an arms embargo.
The ambassadors decision will be followed by a formal approval by the 27 EU Foreign Ministers on May 12.
According to an EU diplomatic source, France, Germany and the UK wanted to impose the most far-reaching sanctions, including a block on "the big money" - the €1.3 billion worth of European Investment Bank (EIB) funds slated for infrastructure projects.
Denmark, Poland and most northern EU countries were in the hawkish camp. But Cyprus led opposition among southern EU countries to the EIB step.
Also on the table was a move to pressure Asian countries against proposing that Syria win a seat on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Syria, facing global condemnation over the deaths of hundreds of demonstrators opposed to President Bashar al-Assad, has been nominated with India, Indonesia and the Philippines by the Asia group at the United Nations for four seats on the Human Rights Council.
The Geneva-based council was to debate a resolution criticizing Syria on Friday but the UN General Assembly in New York will vote whether to give it a seat on the council for 2012-2014 on May 20.
France, the United States, Britain and their allies are looking for an Asian nation to challenge Syria's candidacy or to get other countries to vote against it.
The UNHRC on Friday decided to send a fact-finding mission to Syria as a prelude to possible criminal investigations against regime officials. The UN body also decided to hold off on admitting Syria as a member.
"There is no talk of military intervention at all. The Libya option is not on the table," the EU diplomatic source said.
24 more people were killed on Friday in protests in various locations around the country.
US President Barack Obama on the same day signed an executive order naming people in a Syria asset freeze.
According to Israeli media, the list includes Mahir Assad, the president's brother, Atif Najib, his cousin, and Ali Mamluk, his secret service chief, but not the president himself.
Mahir Assad and Najib are said to have played a leading role in the crackdown in the southern city of Daraa.