There was no danger of Bulgaria losing funds from European Union's operational programmes, Meglena Plougchieva former deputy prime minister in charge of EU funds, told private national Nova Televisia broadcaster on August 25 2009.

Plougchieva was referring to the news that the European Commission (EC) had again rejected the conformity assessments submitted by Bulgaria under the Technical Assistance, Transport, Competitiveness and Administrative Capacity operational programmes.

On August 24 2009, European Commission spokesperson Dennis Abbott said that the decision had been made because of continuing serious weaknesses in the unified management and information system surrounding the EU-funded projects, which monitors the payment requests and funding distribution under the programmes.

This could lead to the postponement of interim payments to Bulgaria, which account for 80 per cent of the more than six billion euro in aid that the EC has lined up for Bulgaria.

According to Plougchieva, however, most of the media and the ruling politicians have left some of Abbott's words out of their comments which were that Bulgaria still had time to avoid the postponement.

She said that the EC had returned the four conformity assessments back to Bulgaria because the Bulgarian report was contradictory.

"When Bulgaria sent its report to the EC it was a positive one but it had an appendix stipulating some of the negative practices that had to be overcome. The EC then said that the report could not be positive and negative at the same time which was why the four conformity assessments were sent back and this is what the new administration should do first," said Plougchieva, currently deputy chairperson of Parliament's committee on EU affairs and absorption of EU funds.

Bulgaria had a deadline of November 21 2009 to do just that, Plougchieva said. She said that it was up to the current Government to complete the work she had started as part of the former government.

"We need to finish our job and correct every mistake we have made. Bulgaria has been a EU member for just two years and if people had any illusions that the money would start flowing immediately, they were mistaken," she said.

"I want to say it clear: there is no danger of Bulgaria losing any of its EU funds," she said.

Plougchieva was part of the former ruling coalition government of Sergei Stanishev, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party. Stanishev lost the July 5 2009 elections to Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov's party GERB.