Now the representatives of the member states would meet once more early Friday morning, it said. The 27 EU countries must decide unanimously on the issue.
Poland bumps into exceptions
Poland is blocking the package because of planned exceptions to the ban on imports of synthetic rubber from Russia, EU diplomats said. Polish diplomats said the planned exemptions are so big they would render the sanctions ineffective. Other diplomats said the exceptions were proposed to accommodate Italy, which is backed by Germany.
There was no agreement as early as Wednesday. The most extensive so far is planned sanctions package the EU. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced measures last week that should have a volume of around eleven billion euros.
Diplomats had said some countries were reluctant to face fines for non-compliance with sanctions. The measures include an import ban on Russian rubber and export bans on technical equipment and wartime spare parts. The EU Commission also wants Russian assets to be better recorded, which might then be used to rebuild Ukraine.
