Brussels, Safar 26, 1436, Dec 18, 2014, SPA -- The European Union is banning investment and hampering tourism in the Russian-annexed region of Crimea and city of Sevastopol, as part of its latest round of sanctions According to dpa, "this is to reinforce the EU's policy of not recognizing their illegal annexation by Russia," the bloc said in a statement announcing that the new measures will come into effect on Saturday. Investment in both places by Europeans and EU-based companies will be "outlawed," including when it comes to real estate and financing or services for local companies. Exports of goods and technology for the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors are also banned. --SPA 18:08 LOCAL TIME 15:08 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w