The European Union tightened an arms embargo on Syria and expanded other sanctions to try to hasten the end of the conflict between President Bashar al-Assad and rebels that is escalating towards civil war.
The new embargo rules require EU countries to search planes and ships, starting from Tuesday, if they suspect they are carrying arms, dual-use goods or equipment used for repression to Syria.
The EU decision sharpens differences with Russia, which has provided the Syrian government with weaponry and has blocked Western moves to get a UN Security Council resolution threatening Syria with sanctions.
All 27 EU countries must enforce the sanctions - including Cyprus, which some Western diplomats suspect is used by Russia as a shipment route to supply arms to Assad. Cypriot President Demetris Christofias has dismissed this idea as "fairy tales".
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said it would be up to EU governments to implement cargo inspections, which British Foreign Secretary William Hague said should damage Assad's access to weapons.
"I hope it will mean that the European Union will be more effective together at preventing any flow of arms to the Syrian regime," he said.
The tighter EU sanctions could also make it more difficult to supply weapons to Assad's opponents. US intelligence officials say weapons funded by sympathisers in Saudi Arabia and Qatar are crossing the Lebanese border to the rebels.
The new sanctions include a ban on the Syrian national airline that will prevent the flag carrier landing at EU airports, although it will still be able to fly over EU countries and make emergency stops.
Ministers added 26 people, mostly military officials, to a list of those subject to EU travel bans and asset freezes. The bloc had already imposed sanctions on 49 organisations and 129 people in Syria. Details of these measures were due to be made public on Tuesday.
