site.btaUPDATED Violations Found in Some 7% of Commercial Establishments Checked over Euro's Adoption

Violations have been found in about 7% of all commercial establishments inspected in connection with the introduction of the euro, said Vladimir Ivanov, head of the newly formed Euro Coordination Centre in Bulgaria, at the centre's first briefing in the Council of Ministers building on Tuesday. 

The main task of the Coordination Centre is to inform the media and the public about the control exercised by state authorities in connection with the introduction of the euro. Members of the Centre are expected to present up-to-date information on the new currency in Bulgaria at a weekly briefing. 

Between January 1 and 5, the Consumer Protection Commission carried out 4,000 inspections, issued 275 administrative penalty notices, 70 penalty orders, and concluded 100 agreements, Ivanov said on Tuesday. The penalties imposed so far are minimal because these are first-time violations, he explained. Most of the inspections were carried out jointly with the National Revenue Agency, he specified.

Since the start of the campaign, the National Revenue Agency has carried out over 800 checks on price formation, resulting in 70 administrative penalty orders, of which 27 penalty orders have been issued for a total amount of BGN 135,000, Ivanov explained. He added that around 400 reports were filed between January 1 and 5, which are currently being processed. 

Between January 5 and 9, over 300 inspections per day are planned in the following sectors: food retail, hairdressing and beauty services, paid parking lots, fitness centres, translation and language courses, and others. From January 8, inspections will begin in winter resorts. 

According to data from the Bulgarian National Bank, 36.3% of BGN in circulation have already been withdrawn from the central bank, with the trend continuing since December 2025. It is expected that most of the available cash will be withdrawn by the end of March. The necessary euro banknotes and coins have been provided, and every merchant can obtain them from any commercial bank, Ivanov said. 

The process of introducing the euro is proceeding normally, he said.

Taking journalists' questions, he said that next week, the Coordination Centre will provide detailed information on the entire banking sector in connection with the introduction of the euro. He assured that the central bank is monitoring the situation and will present the necessary data. It is already checking the claims about banks refusing to exchange BGN for EUR for citizens who are not their customers. Asked about the restriction introduced by banks on the exchange of a certain number of coins and amounts of money, Ivanov said the central bank's position is that it is unacceptable to do anything outside the rules laid down in the regulations on the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria.