The EU Commission presented Germany with an ultimatum on Thursday over the country's failure to implement an EU law for the retention of telephone and internet data for at least six months as part of new counter-terrorism measures.

"Germany - as well as other member states - had enough time to implement all these points," said Cecilia Malmstrom, an EU Commission spokesperson in Brussels.

Germany must follow through with the directive within four weeks, otherwise the EU Commission will make a formal complaint against the country to the European Court for breach of EU treaties.

The initial deadline for the transposition of the directive into national law was 2007 and Berlin could ultimately face a million-dollar fine for its failure to comply in time.

sej/mz (dpa dapd)