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[Adventurer]

Page last updated at 22:55 GMT, Thursday, 17 July 2008 23:55 UK
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EU plans to block aid to Bulgaria
By Oana Lungescu
BBC European affairs correspondent, Brussels



The EU has stepped up its scrutiny of Sergei Stanishev's administration
The European Commission is planning to block almost $1bn in funds for Bulgaria as a penalty for failing to tackle corruption and organised crime.

A report seen by the BBC warns that millions worth of aid could be lost unless the authorities act decisively.

Bulgaria's chances of joining the Schengen area are also at risk.

Bulgaria and its neighbour Romania are subject to special monitoring because they did not fully comply with EU standards when they joined the bloc.

The Commission's nine-page report, due to be published next week, is possibly the most scathing written by the EU executive about a member state.

It concludes that Bulgaria "has to make the commitment to cleanse its administration and ensure that the generous support it receives from the EU actually reaches its citizens and is not siphoned off by corrupt officials, operating together with organised crime".

Mafia killings

The EU has already frozen hundreds of millions worth of aid destined for Bulgaria's roads and agriculture.

BULGARIA

[nautilus]

sounds like a similar scenario to Zimbabwe. Corrupt gangster-type politicians slowly control more and more power and bleed the country dry.

Aren't they supposed to be joining the EU soon?

[Ilsanman]

My relatives in UK all go to Bulgaria regularily to get dental work done. Strange, huh?

[Adventurer]

Bulgaria I was warning before was less developed, government wise than it should be and has too many problems with corruption from former communists. It will take a lot of work to stamp out corruption.