European Union governments have agreed to impose a further set of sanctions on Syria, targeting its oil sector and its supply of bank notes, diplomats said Wednesday, DPA reported.
The restrictive measures are set to come into effect on Saturday, unless a member state objects by the day before.
The news came as at least 13 civilians were reported killed during a fresh crackdown by Syrian security forces on the dissident central cities of Homs and Hama.
The EU had previously banned oil imports from Syria in a bid to pressure President Bashar al-Assad's regime to end the violence. It will now also prevent firms within the bloc from investing in Syria's oil sector.
The new sanctions will also prohibit EU companies from providing the Syrian government with bank notes and coins. The decision will affect a German contract to supply bank notes to Syria, one diplomat told the German Press Agency dpa.
In addition, another two people will join 54 individuals facing travel bans and asset freezes because of their involvement in the Syrian crackdown, while six more companies will be added to a list of entities with which EU firms cannot do business.