EU foreign ministers have agreed on a fresh set of sanctions against Syria. Ministers also urged a quick deployment of ceasefire observers under the peace plan brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

The ceasefire is not being fully implemented ... There continues to be killing, torture, abuse in Syria. So it's very important we keep the pressure on the Assad regime." British Foreign Secretary William Hague

We must maintain political pressure." Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn

I hope all of them [observers] will come in as soon as possible ... We do see that that leads to a sort of reduction in violence and repression in areas where they are able to be." A failure of the Annan plan would be "a rapid descent into sectarian civil war. That would be profoundly devastating for Syria and the entire region." Sweden Foreign Minister Carl Bildt