(SOFIA) - The head of the European Union anti-fraud office on Thursday demanded that Bulgaria clampdown on corruption within months, the government said.

Franz-Hermann Bruner, director of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), held talks with Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev, Bruner and "expressed hopes to see a more dynamic improvement of the work of the Bulgarian judiciary and more tangible concrete results in the fight against corruption by the end of the year," the government said.

The talks were held after Bruner and a team of OLAF experts arrived on a two-day visit.

In a statement released before his arrival, Bruner said: "Our message to the Bulgarian authorities is clear: Certain changes have been made. What we are expecting now are results."

"We need to see a clear and tangible outcome of the fight against fraud and corruption in Bulgaria: in judicial procedures as well as concerning the recovery of (EU) funds," Bruner added.

Justice Minister Meglena Tacheva told journalists that in talks Bruner had pinpointed how the EU "wants to see that investigations are moving, cases enter courts and end up with sentences."

The European Commission has strongly condemned Bulgaria's failure to tackle corruption and its bad management of EU funds.

The EU executive arm has frozen more than 800 million euros (1.18 billion dollars) in farm, road and regional development aid money due to fraud and conflict of interest concerns.

It warned of further sanctions if no effective measures were taken.

Bruner's meeting Thursday with Stanishev and Deputy premier for EU funds Meglena Plugchieva also focused on the steps Bulgaria must take and the need for closer cooperation with OLAF, the government statement said.

The OLAF director will meet Friday with Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev and the head of Bulgaria's newly-established State Agency for National Secirity Petko Sertov.

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