BRUSSELS, Belgium — The European Union yesterday agreed to lift its diplomatic sanctions against Cuba but imposed tough conditions on the communist island to maintain sanction-free relations, officials said.

The E.U. External Relations Commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said the bloc felt it had to encourage changes in Cuba after Raul Castro took over as the head of the country’s government from his ailing brother Fidel.

“There will be very clear language also on what the Cubans still have to do … releasing prisoners, really working on human rights questions,” she told reporters at an E.U. summit. “There will be a sort of review to see whether indeed something will have happened.”

The decision does not affect America’s trade embargo imposed on Cuba nearly 50 years ago. The Bush administration has shown no signs of lifting it.

The measures were imposed in 2003 after Cuba imprisoned 75 dissidents and independent journalists, accusing them of working with America to undermine the government.

Cuban authorities released 16 on medical parole and four others were freed into forced exile in Spain, but 55 remain behind bars.