EU countries working on contours of Iran crude embargo

European Union member nations are firming up the contours of a proposed embargo on imports of Iranian crude oil and looking for alternate supply sources, but there is no consensus on the timeframe for implementing any joint decision, a top EU official said.

"We are dealing with the issue of (oil) supplies to the EU and making sure we have got details of this in place," EU High Representative on Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton told reporters after a meeting with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.

Ashton said as head of an international group seeking negotiations with Iran on its nuclear programme, she was keen on talks with that country, but is still awaiting its response to confidence-building measures the EU proposed a year ago.

EU is mulling an embargo on Iranian crude oil imports as Tehran has refused to come clean on the nature of its nuclear programme. There is, however, no consensus among member nations on the timeframe for implementing the proposed decision.

Some member countries are pressing for imposition of the embargo after six months so that those who import Iranian oil get some time to find alternatives. Some of EU's most economically stressed countries, including Greece, Spain and Italy, are among the largest importers of Iranian oil.

Leaders from some Asian countries that buy the most Iranian oil have begun touring the Middle East to secure alternative supply lines from Arab states. European buyers have suggested they would lean more heavily on other Arab oil producers should an EU ban on Iranian crude come into effect.

A strong momentum for oil sanctions has been created by a UN watchdog report which said Iran appears to have worked on designing an atom bomb. However, Iran contends the programme is for peaceful purposes.

Ashton is in India for a series of meetings with Indian leaders ahead of the 12th EU-India Summit scheduled on February10 in New Delhi.