The European Union has blocked Austria's proposed ban on social media use by children under 14, temporarily restricting member states from advancing national legislation that overlaps with the bloc's planned rules.

The European Commission announced Thursday that it would postpone for 12 months draft national laws covering areas addressed by the proposed EU-wide legislation. The decision is intended to prevent conflicting regulations among member states while European officials negotiate a common approach to protecting children online.

EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said the commission had decided to delay national proposals that overlap with the future harmonized rules.

Austria had sought to prohibit children under 14 from using social media platforms. However, the Commission said member states should wait for the broader legislation rather than establish separate age restrictions that could differ across national borders.

Last month, the European Commission proposed a framework that would prohibit children under 13 from accessing social media, while allowing limited and supervised access for those between 13 and 15.

Brussels argues that separate national restrictions could create a patchwork of regulations across the 27-member bloc, complicating enforcement and creating different requirements for technology companies operating throughout Europe.

European officials also fear that countries adopting their own laws could lose the incentive to negotiate and implement a common standard.

"We need to now focus on the negotiations of the EU Kids Act and to ensure an effective enforcement of our rules," Regnier said.

The commission hopes EU member states and the European Parliament will reach an agreement on the proposed legislation within the next several months.

Austria criticized the decision, arguing that the delay would postpone protections for children facing potential harms associated with social media.

Austrian Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler said he could not "fathom" why the commission had decided to put the proposed legislation on hold. He said Vienna intended to protect children from the daily harm caused by social media companies and argued that such protections should not be delayed.

Austria has also indicated that it would be prepared to bring its national restrictions into force immediately once the 12-month postponement expires.

The commission's decision is not expected to affect every national proposal equally. France's planned legislation is unlikely to be blocked because Paris notified Brussels about its proposal before the commission introduced its EU-wide framework. The Commission had previously asked France to revise aspects of its draft.

Greece has also been able to advance its own restrictions, which were developed well before the EU proposal was introduced in September.

Regnier declined to say whether France would ultimately be permitted to implement its national legislation.

The Commission has not yet issued decisions on similar proposals from other member states, including Italy and Slovakia.

The dispute highlights growing disagreement over how to regulate children's access to social media across Europe. While several governments are seeking faster national restrictions, EU officials want a unified system that establishes common requirements throughout the bloc.