EU ministers agree to blacklist Hezbollah’s armed wing

EU foreign ministers agreed in July 2013 to list the military wing of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.

The initiative will make it illegal for Hezbollah sympathisers in Europe to send the group money and for European diplomats to meet Hezbollah militant staff.

Some Member States expressed concern that the move could further destabilise the situation in Lebanon, and argued it will be difficult to distinguish between Hezbollah's military and political wings.

• Primary Source

France24, 22.07.13: EU agrees to put Hezbollah’s military wing on terror list http://www.france24.com/en/20130722-eu-agrees-blacklist-hezbollah-military-wing-terror-list-bulgaria-bomb

EurActiv, 22.07.13: EU adds Hezbollah's military wing to its terrorist list http://www.euractiv.com/security/eu-adds-hezbollah-military-wing-news-529502

Spiegel Online International, 22.07.13: EU Terror List: Hezbollah Unlikely to Feel Sanctions http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/eu-terrorist-group-designation-to-have-little-impact-on-hezbollah-a-912448.html

European Parliament: Studies: The role of Hezbollah in post-Conflict Lebanon, 2013 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/delegations/en/studiesdownload.html?languageDocument=EN&file=95693

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 08.08.13: The EU’s designation of Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist group is a critical step toward preventing its illicit activities in Europe http://bit.ly/13V7P8K

ESO: Background information: EU moves to put Hezbollah on its terror list http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-moves-to-put-hezbollah-on-its-terror-list/

Wikipedia: Hezbollah http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah

Council of the European Union: Press Release, PRES/13/347: Council amends EU terrorist list http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/138396.pdf

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 25.07.13: Joint Council and Commission Declaration on the specific restrictive measures to combat terrorism http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/138395.pdf

---