(SOFIA) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev promised Sunday tighter controls on the use of EU funds, after a portion was recently frozen by Brussels due to corruption concerns.

"This is not an ordinary situation. We must produce concrete results," Stanishev told a press conference following a meeting of the centre-left coalition government.

The recent freezing of funds from two EU assistance programmes, known as PHARE and SAPARD, set up for eastern European countries seeking to join the bloc, constituted "very worrying signs," he said.

But he added that Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Plugchieva, appointed in April to oversee the use of EU funds, would from now on ensure "better coordination and checks, and better communication," with Brussels.

Plugchieva criticised on Saturday the "intolerable behaviour towards Brussels" shown by ministry employees, who disregarded suggestions made by the European Commission and only pretended to do work, the Trud newspaper reported.

The European Commission froze EU subsidy payments to Bulgaria for infrastructure in January and then for agriculture in March, because of concerns about corruption.

Although it joined the European Union in January 2007, Sofia is still due to receive some pre-accession funding up to 2009.

It now fears that additional funds, available to it since accession and worth 6.853 billion euros (10.6 billion dollars), could also be delayed.

Stanishev announced Sunday that the government would propose a law on Thursday aimed at preventing professional conflicts of interest for civil servants.

Bulgaria, like Romania which joined the bloc at the same time, is being closely monitored by Brussels for failing to meet its pledges in the fight against corruption and organised crime.

A progress report by the European Commission is expected in early July.

Plugchieva told national radio Sunday that the European Union's confidence in Bulgaria was "eroding".

"Bulgaria stands the risk of being placed in Europe's freezer," the Trud newspaper wrote on Sunday, warning that the nation could face political isolation if it fails to curb corruption.

The financial weekly Capital meanwhile noted "widespread support" among EU member states for freezing European funds to Bulgaria.

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