Sofia  - Officials from the European Union's anti-corruption authority OLAF began new investigations Monday in Bulgaria to take a closer look at Sofia's spending on EU-financed projects.

In the work coming shortly after a visit to Sofia by OLAF chief Franz-Hermann-Bruener, the EU experts were focusing on EU-funded projects in Bulgarian rural development efforts, according to local media reports.

Last Friday, Bruener demanded that Bulgaria implement "better controls" in the way it spends EU money.

In particular, OLAF had criticised the Bulgarian authorities after determining that 32 million euros (48 million dollars) in EU money had been misappropriated.

In July, the EU Commission ordered a stop to some 500 million euros' worth of funds earmarked for Bulgaria, charging the country with corruption and inadequate measures against the mafia. Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. (dpa)