Kiev  - Ukraine's government on Wednesday dissolved a state agency dedicated to preparing the country for the Euro 2012 football championships after criticism by UEFA that progress was far too slow.

Ukraine and Poland were named co-hosts for the high-profile tournament in April 2007. The formation of a National Agency for the Preparation of Ukraine for Euro 2012 was announced in January 2008.

"This is a result of criticism by UEFA," said Hryhory Surkis, head of the Federation of Football of Ukraine, according to an Interfax news agency report. "They (UEFA) had been complaining that the agency's work was not satisfactory."

UEFA chairman Michel Platini in October warned that Ukraine stood to lose some or all of the games it was scheduled to host if preparations by 2012 are not up to international standards.

Ukrainian efforts to get ready for Euro 2012 have been bogged down by bureaucratic infighting, lack of widespread government support and falling available cash in the wake of the international financial crisis.

Another factor in the delays was confusion in the Ukrainian government as to whether the now defunct Agency for Preparation was allowed to give orders to other branches of the Ukrainian state.

Ukraine currently faces an uphill battle in getting ready for the tournament with only two of the five needed stadiums in a workable condition, less than 10 per cent of needed hotels actually built, and a transportation infrastructure dating back to the Soviet era.

Ukraine's government on Tuesday announced a rare step forward in the preparation process, saying the number of contractors for modernisation of the country's largest Olympic stadium had been reduced to a shortlist, and that the 365-million-dollar (290-million- euro) project would have a general contractor named by the beginning of December. (dpa)