EU leaders have come under pressure to take hard-line action against Zimbabwe.

As EU heads of government and foreign ministers arrive for a summit in Barcelona, human rights groups are joining forces with MPs and MEPs to demand action against Robert Mugabe.

They believe that the EU should impose stiffer sanctions against his regime following the widespread intimidation and vote-rigging during this week's general election.

Tony Blair, who arrived in Spain yesterday evening, is expected to lead EU calls for the election result to be quashed.

The European parliament yesterday passed a motion calling on governments across Europe to refuse to recognise the result and break-off ties with the Mugabe government.

The Labour MEP Glenys Kinnock led the calls. "America has made this clear and Jack Straw has made a powerful statement in the House of Commons, and now we expect the rest of the European Union to do the same,'' she said.

The EU has already imposed targeted sanctions against the Mugabe regime, which bans the president and his close associates from entering the union.

After the head of EU's delegation of election observers, Pierre Schori, was expelled from the country, EU Foreign Ministers imposed an arms and technical embargo against the country.

It also froze the assets of Mugabe and 19 of his closest associates.The EU chose not to send observers to monitor the election following Schori's expulsion.

Schori, a Swedish diplomat, was ordered to leave Zimbabwe after being accused of "political arrogance" by Mugabe's regime.