(BRUSSELS) - EU newcomers Bulgaria and Romania are failing to deliver "convincing results" in cracking down on corruption and are running the risk of sanctions, the European Commission warned Monday.

A little over a year since the Balkan states joined the European union on January 1, 2007, the bloc's executive arm said, in separate reports, that they had made progress in some areas but more needed to be done.

In Bulgaria's case, the Commission said Sofia had made progress improving the judicial system and clamping down on corruption at borders and local authorities.

But it also underlined "particular concern for the areas of fighting high-level corruption and organised crime where convincing results have not yet been demonstrated."

"Bulgaria needs to establish a better track record in the investigation, prosecution and judgement of such cases," Commission spokesman Mark Gray told reporters.

Likewise for Romania, the Commission also concluded that Bucharest was not producing "convincing results" against high-level corruption.

"We have 10 important cases that have been delayed for over six months," Gray said.

The Commission lamented that reform of the justice system was going too slowly, especially as regards staffing policies and coming up with a strategy to fight corruption at the local level.

Although shortcomings in the Bulgarian and Romanian justice systems were well known before they joined the EU at the start of 2007, the bloc decided against postponing their accession.

That was despite warnings from many observers that once the countries joined the EU they would have little incentive to keep up their reforms and that they would set a dangerous precedent for other countries trying to join in the future.

In the face of such criticism, the EU now insists that countries hoping to join must first sort out their justice systems.

Bulgaria and Romania were also submitted to strict monitoring on the handling of EU funds and on food safety -- as well as aviation safety in Bulgaria's case.

EU countries and the Commission can sanction either country for failures in their judicial systems or in the management of EU funds and food safety.

They can also refuse to recognise the two countries' legal decisions and can even suspend farm aid.

Although the Commission currently sees no need for sanctions, Gray said the "possibility exists" when more complete reports on the two countries' progress are issued in July.

Making a sporting analogy, Gray said: "We had a poor first, we expect a much better second half. Nobody wants to see extra time or penalties and that's why we expect the two governments to improve in the second half.

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