The Committee of permanent representatives from European Union member countries has decided to extend the targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe, official sources said in Brussels on Thursday.

This decision arrived at during a meeting is motivated by the 'shortage of sufficient progress' in the implementation of the global agreement concluded betwe en Zanu-PF led by president Mugabe and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai, according to a statement to PANA.

The council of ministers on 16 February will approve this decision and propose to extend the sanctions against Zimbabwe until 20 February 2011.

The sanctions target 142 personalities close to president Mugabe, as well as several Zimbabwean companies which provide funds for ZANU-PF.

The leaders targeted are banned from staying in Europe and the foreign assets of the affected companies are frozen in European banks.

The sanctions which came into force in 2002 target the ruling regime and were taken against Harare's policy for the accelerated agrarian reform.

This agricultural policy consists of allocating agricultural land taken from white Zimbabweans to other citizens.

By Staff reporter and agencies