Europe may freeze Mubarak's assets on Egypt's request

European nations today backed calls to freeze assets held abroad by former president Hosni Mubarak but held off taking action until Egypt submitted a request.

Going into talks of the 17 nations that share the euro, the head of the eurozone area, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, said he favoured a freeze on assets held by Mubarak on the continent.

Asked if he would follow Switzerland's lead Friday in slapping a freeze on Mubarak, Juncker gave a categorical "yes." But an EU spokeswoman, echoing Britain's position, said the ball was in Cairo's court.

"We are in contact with the Egyptian authorities. We will take appropriate measures if this issue comes up, when necesssary," said Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

She recalled that an EU freeze on assets held by ousted Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family and associates was decided "in consultation with the Tunisian authorities."

"This is a process, we would need an assessment and a decision by the 27 member states," she added.

In London, Britain likewise deflected growing pressure to move on the issue, saying it could only act if it received a request from Cairo.

Newspapers reported that Mubarak has assets worth millions of pounds in Britain, but a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron added that any action should come as part of an international arrangement.

"As I understand the situation on asset freezing, there has to be some international effort... and a request has to be made" by the Egyptian authorities, Cameron's spokesman told reporters.

Diplomats told AFP at the weekend that broad agreement was in place among the 27 EU nations that, should Egypt take action to recover Mubarak wealth, and Brussels be invited to follow suit, the EU would implement the freeze.

Switzerland on Friday ordered a freeze on any assets belonging to the 82-year-old and his entourage but British officials have said they would likely take action through an international body such as the EU.

"Countries act together to freeze assets so it normally comes through some international gathering," the spokesman said.

The European Union on Friday slapped asset freezes on 46 associates of ousted Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, an EU official told AFP.