Members of the European Union looked into the possibility of using economic pressure to end violence in Egypt. The army-backed government in Cairo has continued to pursue supporters of former Islamist President Mohamed Mursi which has led to the deaths of around 800 people. Experts and officials of the EU said the 28-member EU bloc said a EURO 5 billion or USD 6.7 billion grants and loans package promised to Egypt last year could be withheld.

Earlier, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso urged the member nations to "urgently review" their relationship with Egypt and find ways to help end further bloodshed. The two EU senior officials also said, "Egypt is a key partner of the European Union. Further escalation must be prevented. It could have unpredictable consequences for Egypt and for its broader neighborhood."

For his part, Laurent Fabius of France told reporters that as far as aid policy goes, "nothing could be ruled out." He stressed, "What is evident is that we must quickly stop the bloodshed and reach an inter-Egyptian dialogue. It is not easy of course. We have to mobilize all our energies so that a solution is found by Egyptians."