The European Union has adopted sanctions against Syria for its violent crackdown on anti-government protests, imposing an embargo on arms exports as well as travel and financial restrictions on Bashar al-Assad’s regime's top officials.
"The EU measures respond to the escalation of the Syrian authorities' violent crackdown, including by military means, that has led to the killing, injury or arrest of Syrian citizens for their participation in peaceful protests," EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Monday.
"This is clearly inconsistent with the universal principles of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms," she added.
A ban on the shipment of arms and equipment is coupled with a blockade on the sale of "any products which could be used for internal repression."
The visa ban and the assets freeze targets 13 officials and associates of the Syrian regime who have been identified by the Council as being responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population. But Bashar al-Assad himself was not included in the list.
Ashton urged Syria "to put an immediate end to violence and swiftly introduce genuine and comprehensive political reform, the only way to provide peace and stability for Syria in the long term."
She called again the Syrian President "to choose the path of reform and national inclusive dialogue and avoid further bloodshed whilst the door remains open."
"Failing that, the EU will consider extending the restrictive measures in light of the developments, including at the highest level of leadership," she said.
EU Foreign Ministers will revert to the situation in Syria at their meeting later this month.
A bilateral agreement opening the way for Syria to win preferential trade deals with the EU could also be temporarily shelved.
The EU is Syria's main trade partner.