Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev has praised the European Commission's decision to unfreeze 115 million euro to Bulgaria under the Ispa pre-accession aid programme, allocated towards construction of Lyulin motorway near Sofia and technical support for the preparation of road projects, the Government’s press office said on May 12 2009.

The EC's decision was officially announced in Brussels on May 12 2009 by Meglena Plougchieva, Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister in charge of EU funds, and EC commissionaire for regional policy Danuta Hubner in Brussels.

"The EC's decision shows that the Bulgarian Government's efforts to combat problems and irregularities in EU funds' absorption have been appreciated," Stanishev said. "This is not the end of our efforts but just a step forward," he said.

The news came less than a month before elections for Bulgarian members of European Parliament (July 7 2009) and less than two months before elections to the Bulgarian Parliament (July 5 2009)

EC blocked the money on July 23 2008, following revelations about a conflict of interest and fraud at the National Road Infrastructure Fund (NRIF), which was subsequently restructured into an agency controlled directly by the Cabinet.

Moreover, the EC forced Bulgaria to pass a conflict of interest law and amend its public procurement legislation.

Sofia imposed a financial sanction of 652 000 euro and carried out several audits at the roads agency, giving the EC grounds to renew financing.