The European Union has said it will take "appropriate measures" to punish Mauritania after failing to restore constitutional rule, the French foreign ministry has said.

Frederic Desagneaux, the foreign ministry spokesman, said on Thursday: "Given that the junta's proposals have been deemed insufficient by the international community, EU member states will examine, based on the proposals of the European Commission, appropriate measures".

Desagneaux did not give specifics, but the European sanctions could include breaking off diplomatic relations to suspending development aid, although humanitarian assistance would not be affected.

The move came after EU and African Union leaders threatened to impose sanctions on the Saharan state on October 20 and a one-month deadline for Mauritania's ruling military leaders to free Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, the former Mauritanian president.

However, the deadline expired with no sign of a breakthrough.

Abdallahi became Mauritania's first democratically elected president last year, but was toppled on August 6 by a group of generals led by Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the presidential guard chief whom Adballahi had tried to dismiss while serving in office.

Since then, Abdallahi had been kept under house arrest in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott.

The ousted president was later transferred to his village on November 13, where he has been receiving visitors and discussing the country's political crisis freely.