The sanctions against Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's regime, which will also include an embargo on providing Tripoli with law enforcement equipment, will not be enforced for several days.

Friday's accord between the 27 EU nations still needs to be drafted legally, said the diplomat, who asked not to be identified.

EU sources refused to say who or how many Libyans were targeted "to avoid a run on assets", as one diplomat put it.

Earlier on Friday, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said "it's time to consider what we call restrictive measures, to think about what we can do to ensure we are putting as much pressure as possible to try and stop the violence in Libya."