BRUSSELS -- The European Union has banned sales of crude oil refined petroleum products to North Korea as it further tightened sanctions on the communist country over its nuclear and missile programs.

EU foreign ministers also agreed in Luxembourg not to renew work permits for North Koreans in the EU while lowering the ceiling for an individual remittance to North Korea to 5,000 euros ($5,900) from 15,000 euros.

There has been widespread speculation that remittances to Pyongyang by tens of thousands of North Korean workers abroad could end up in weapons programs.

The new sanctions are the latest in a series of international efforts to further tighten the screws on North Korea to try to pressure Pyongyang into abandoning its nuclear and missile programs.

Last month, the UN Security Council imposed caps on North Korea's imports of oil to punish Pyongyang for its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 3.

The sanctions include a freeze on North Korean imports of crude oil at current levels of 4 million barrels a year and a cap on imports of refined petroleum products at 2 million barrels annually, or about half the current levels.

It is the first time the Security Council has targeted oil in its sanctions against the regime.

The tightened sanctions endorsed by 28 EU foreign ministers also include asset freezes of North Korea's military and its armed forces ministry. It remains unclear whether North Korea's military and its armed forces ministry have any assets in the EU.

Despite international sanctions, North Korea has repeatedly vowed not to give up its nuclear program, viewing it as a deterrent against what it claims is Washington's hostile policy towards it. (Yonhap)