BRUSSELS (EJP)---The European Union is not planning to recall its ambassador in  Damascus like some of its member states did in response to the ongoing Syrian government repression against the opposition.

The US closed its embassy in the Syrian capital followed by EU member states Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Belgium.

While individual member states were free to take action, the EU's external service had "no plan at all" to do the same with its own ambassador in Damascus, said Michael Mann, spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

He said it was "important to have people on the ground to follow the situation," especially since there was no free press in Syria. He also repeated the EU's condemnation for the repression.

Meanwhile, the EU is preparing a new round of sanctions against Syria, ahead of the next meeting of the 27 EU Foreign Ministers on January 27.

The sanctions would include a freeze on the Syrian central bank's assets as well as on most transactions with it.  The EU would also ban the import and export of phosphates, diamonds, gold and other precious metals.

The EU is also considering a ban on commercial flights to and from Syria.