A free-of-charge hotline number where people can ask questions about EU funds absorption and send tip-offs about alleged EU funds embezzlement went into operation on June 23 2008. The hotline is part of the package of measures proposed by Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds Management Meglena Plougchieva. 

The phone line can be reached at 0 800 13 999 at all hours, the Government's press service said in a statement. All questions and tip-offs will be recorded an answered within one month, with callers asked to leave their phone number or e-mail address.

The EU funds hotline is part of Plougchieva's efforts to make EU funds absorption a transparent process. She took her job on April 22 this year, three months after Bulgaria was shaken by a scandal that saw a top government official involved in a scheme that allegedly drained EU funds.

The head of National Road Infrastructure Fund (NRIF) Vesselin Georgiev resigned after it became clear that a company managed by his brother was the main beneficiary of NRIF's contracts funded with EU money.

Georgiev refused to call the situation a conflict of interest, but had to resign amid immense public pressure. His case was mentioned several times by EU officials as an example of how Bulgaria handled its EU funds.

Currently, Bulgaria has an extensive amount of funds frozen by the European Commission under the Phare, Sapard and Ispa pre-accession programmes.