The European Union (EU) on Monday stepped up arms embargo and sanctions against the Syria government in response to increasing violence in the country.

"EU countries will be obliged to inspect vessels and aircraft heading to Syria if they suspect the cargo contains arms or equipment for internal repression," said a conclusion adopted by EU foreign ministers from the 27-member bloc in Brussels.

According to the conclusion, the obligation applies in member states' seaports and airports as well as in their territorial sea, in accordance with international law.

Items that may not be exported to Syria under EU law must be seized. In addition, aircraft and vessels heading to Syria will have to provide additional pre-arrival and pre-departure information on their cargo.

"The EU has warned against a further militarization of the conflict," said EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton following the adoption of the conclusion, "Today, we are taking practical steps towards limiting the supplies that fuel the fighting."

The EU embargo on exporting arms and equipment to Syria has been in force since May 2011. It is also prohibited to provide grants, loans, export credit insurance, technical assistance, insurance and reinsurance for exports of arms and of equipment for internal repression to Syria.

The 27-member bloc on Monday also beefed up its restrictive measures against Syria by freezing the assets of three entities supporting the regime. It also targeted 26 persons responsible for violent repression in the country with a travel ban and an asset freeze.

This is the seventeenth round of EU sanctions against Syria since May 2011, which brings the total number of persons subject to sanctions to 155 whereas 52 entities are now affected by an EU asset freeze.

An exemption to the existing EU asset freeze against Syria was also approved by EU foreign ministers, permitting member states to authorize payments through banks subject to sanctions if the transfers constitute financial support to Syrian students or researchers in the EU.