The European Union on Friday told the new member- state Bulgaria that it must combat organized crime with more efficiency, according to dpa. "Corruption and organized crime have no place in EU and they will not be tolerated," the European Commission President Jose-Manuel Barroso said during a visit to Sofia. After meeting Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev, Barroso warned Bulgaria that it must meet the criteria it committed itself with the accession to EU in 2007. Bulgaria, as well as its neighbour Romania, were allowed to join EU despite some shortcomings, particularly in judiciary reforms which would help the country curb its all-corrupting organized crime. "Endless investigations and delays of legal procedure are not justice," Barroso said. Bulgarian criminals often avoid justice by bribing officials into delaying legal action. An EU report in February criticized Bulgaria over its reluctance to tackle the problem of organized crime. The next such report is due out in June. Meanwhile, Brussels has suspended some aid for Bulgaria's farming and agriculture over allegations of corruption and embezzlement related to EU funds.
