PAPHOS, Cyprus (Reuters) – European Union heavyweights Britain, France and Germany called on their EU partners on Friday to impose new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

As Israel continued to threaten military action against Iran, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Tehran’s failure to meet international demands to scale back its nuclear work meant the EU should discuss new sanctions within weeks.

PAPHOS, Cyprus (Reuters) – Britain and the Netherlands urged other EU governments on Friday to join the United States in imposing sanctions on the Lebanese political and militant group Hezbollah for providing support to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad.

Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal said the European Union should brand Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, a move that would enable the bloc to freeze the group’s assets in Europe.

PAPHOS, Cyprus (Reuters) – Britain and the Netherlands urged other EU governments on Friday to join the United States in imposing sanctions on the Lebanese political and militant group Hezbollah for providing support to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad.

Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal said the European Union should brand Hezbollah a terrorist organization, a move that would enable the bloc to freeze the group’s assets in Europe.

PAPHOS, Cyprus, Sept 7 (Reuters) – European Union
heavyweights Britain, France and Germany called on Friday for
new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, as Israel
continues to threaten military action.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Iran’s
failure to meet international demands to scale back its nuclear
work meant new sanctions should be discussed within weeks.

BRUSSELS, Aug 2 (Reuters) – Chief negotiators for the EU and
Iran agreed on Thursday to hold more talks about Tehran’s
nuclear work, but the European Union gave no sign progress was
imminent in the decade-long dispute.

Six world powers, represented by EU foreign policy chief
Catherine Ashton, have sought to persuade Iran to scale back its
nuclear programme through intensifying economic sanctions and
diplomacy.

BRUSSELS, July 23 (Reuters) – The European Union tightened
an arms embargo on Syria and expanded other sanctions on Monday
as the conflict between President Bashar al-Assad and rebels
escalated towards civil war.

The new embargo rules require EU countries to search planes
and ships if they have “reasonable grounds” to suspect they are
carrying arms, dual-use goods or equipment used for repression
to Syria.

BUCHAREST/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Romania’s ruling party wants to extend voting in a referendum on whether to impeach the president to two days from one, a senior politician said on Friday, pushing ahead with a campaign that has drawn criticism from Brussels.

The change would increase the chances that turnout at the July 29 vote will exceed 50 percent, a level that Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s party abolished but the European Union wants restored.

BUCHAREST/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Romania’s ruling party wants to extend voting in a referendum on whether to impeach the president to two days from one, a senior politician said on Friday, pushing ahead with a campaign that has drawn criticism from Brussels.

The change would increase the chances that turnout at the July 29 vote will exceed 50 percent, a level that Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s party abolished but the European Union wants restored.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The Romanian government will quickly address European concerns over rule of law and will respect any Constitutional Court decisions regarding a referendum on the impeachment of President Traian Basescu, the prime minister said on Thursday.

Victor Ponta met European Union leaders in Brussels to defend his campaign to oust Basescu and to address charges that it failed to respect constitutional checks and balances.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Romania’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta will try on Thursday to fend off EU criticism of his campaign to oust President Traian Basescu, which Brussels says jeopardises the rule of law and could block Bucharest’s full integration into Europe.

Ponta travelled to Brussels on Wednesday, pledging to address any issues raised by his EU partners. He is due to meet European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy on Thursday.