ECB confirms Bulgaria’s readiness to adopt euro in 2026

Reuters
Reuters

The European Central Bank has confirmed that Bulgaria now meets all criteria to adopt the euro, setting the stage for the country to join the eurozone on January 1, 2026, pending final approval from EU finance ministers.

Bulgaria is set to become the 21st member of the eurozone after the European Central Bank announced the country meets all necessary conditions to adopt the euro from January 1, 2026.

“This positive assessment of convergence paves the way for Bulgaria to introduce the euro,” said ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane.

The final decision will rest with EU finance ministers, expected to approve the move in early July. Following this, Bulgarian central bank officials will begin participating in ECB meetings as observers before formal accession.

While Bulgaria had previously struggled with inflation requirements, this time it just passed, with a 12-month inflation rate of 2.7% - slightly under the 2.8% reference value.

Though inflation is expected to rise to 3.6% in 2025, the European Commission forecasts a drop below 2% by 2026, aligning with eurozone standards.

Bulgaria’s euro entry will mark a major milestone in its EU integration, following years of effort and gradual economic alignment with the bloc.

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