Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev has been giving interviews to leading international media to prepare the ground for what is expected to be a sharply critical report on Bulgaria by the European Commission.

In The Sofia Echo published on June 13, Petar Kostadinov outlines Stanishev's approach to what is certain to be a vexed political issue within Bulgaria and throughout the EU, with the big question being whether the EC will penalise Bulgaria for inadequacy in the fight against organised crime and corruption.

Elsewhere, Spasena Baramova reports on the latest political controversies in Turkey, while Alex Bivol examines the aftermath of local elections in Romania.

Bulgaria's Consumer Protection Commission has been doing check-ups at resorts along the Black Sea coast in preparation for the summer holiday season. The Sofia Echo reports on progress.

In the features section, Eileen Sutherland gives an update on her straw bale house project, while Clive Leviev-Sawyer and Elitsa Savova, in separate essays, offer their individual takes on Eurovision.

The newspaper also has all of its regular features, including columnists, social photographs, listings of what's on at theatres, galleries, cultural institutes, cinemas and on television, as well as our restaurant and venue reviews.

In the sports section, The Sofia Echo's coverage of Euro 2008 continues, and there is news about the CSKA saga and about the upcoming season of expatriate cricket.

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