BRUSSELS, July 1 - The Council of the European Union on Friday approved the decision agreed upon on June 21 by the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU countries to prolong the economic sanctions on Russia by six months, until January 31, 2017, the council said in a communique.

"The decision was adopted by written procedure and, as is the rule for all decisions on prolongation of restrictive measures, unanimously," the document said.