(BRUSSELS) - EU nations are failing to do enough to protect missing children, the European Commission said on Thursday, accusing member states of dragging their feet on setting up hotlines.

Of the European Union's 27 member states, only Hungary has taken all the necessary action to implement the hotlines.

"Alarm bells should be ringing in the other 26 member states," said EU Telecommunications Commissioner Viviane Reding said.

"It is a pity that in many countries action doesn't seem to follow words when it comes to implementing numbers that can provide precious help to parents and children.

Six-digit numbers starting with 116 have been reserved across the EU for missing children hotlines and helplines which children can call.

However, a recent EU survey found that very few member states had implemented the numbers, and little effort had been made by governments to get the numbers known, as required by EU law.

"The commission has done its part of the job and hopes that it won't be necessary to start legal proceedings on a matter where there should be broad consensus," Reding said.

The commission's warning came after EU nations agreed on Tuesday to cooperate more closely in the hunt for lost children but could not endorse a Europe-wide alert system sought by the parents of missing British toddler Madeleine McCann.

Germany argues that alerting all 27 nations as soon as a child disappears and launching a massive media campaign would be pointless as most are found in the area where they went missing quite quickly.

Further details - European Commission

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