Bulgaria must speed up trials and produce convictions against powerful underworld bosses or face tough sanctions from the European Union, the bloc's justice commissioner Franco Frattini said on Monday.

Brussels has warned Bulgaria, which joined the EU last month, to tackle widespread corruption and organised crime or the Union's executive Commission will withhold aid and prevent its court rulings being recognised in other member states.

EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini said the poor Balkan state had made progress passing laws to shore up its slow and graft-prone judiciary, but now had to put criminals behind bars.

"Now courts have to speed up trials. Arrests are not enough," Frattini told reporters as he ended a four-day visit to Bulgaria. "We are waiting for sentences," he said.

Diplomats say powerful criminal groups control huge parts of the country's economy and authorities here have not convicted anyone for a string of over 150 gangland killings since 2001. Frattini said he had offered Bulgarian authorities the chance to work with his staff to avoid criticism in a March report in which the Commission will judge Sofia's progress in rule-of-law and other issues.

The Commission will decide on whether or not to impose sanctions in early June.

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