BRUSSELS: European Union foreign ministers agreed fresh sanctions against Syria on Monday, the 15th round so far to protest the relentless repression of dissidents by President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

An EU statement issued at a meeting of ministers from the 27-nation bloc said they adopted "sanctions against the Syrian regime" but gave no details.

An EU diplomat confirmed however that the ministers agreed to slap an assets freeze and visa ban on two firms and three people believed to provide funding for the regime.

With Syria still engulfed in deadly violence since the protests kicked off some 14 months ago, the EU only last month adopted sanctions targeting the high-end lifestyle of Assad, his wife and regime supporters.

It banned shipments of luxury items to Damascus and further restricted the sale of goods used to repress dissidents, but has yet to come into effect as the EU to date has not released a precise list of the items to be targeted.

In all, the EU has blacklisted 126 people and 41 firms or utilities while also freezing central bank assets, banning cargo flights into the EU and restricting trade in gold and precious metals.

"The EU will continue its policy of imposing additional measures targeting the regime... as long as repression continues," ministers said in a statement last month. AFP