site.btaEU Commissioner Zaharieva Welcomes Green Light for Bulgaria’s 2026 Eurozone Entry

The European Commission’s conclusion that Bulgaria is ready to adopt the euro made it a particularly good day for the country and the EU, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva said Wednesday.

Zaharieva congratulated the government and Bulgarians, noting that after joining the EU in 2007 and entering Schengen a few months ago, Sofia now has the chance to enter the euro area—the bloc’s core—on January 1, 2026, following the Commission’s positive report. She thanked everyone who had contributed to the effort over the years.

“We do not anticipate any issues with the upcoming decisions,” Zaharieva said, adding that the government has followed a solid technical plan to secure a smooth transition. It is up to politicians and economists to build broader public backing for the euro, she added. “I am concerned about the genuine fears some people feel. Unfortunately, those worries are being amplified and false information is circulating,” Zaharieva said.

“It is not true that people will lose their money, be unable to exchange their savings for euros, become poorer or have to repay someone else’s debts,” she said. Data from recent euro adopters show higher investment, lower private-sector costs and rising incomes, she noted.

A frequent misconception is that prices will double, Zaharieva said. Bulgaria is in a unique position because BGN has held a fixed exchange rate for two decades, so any attempt to manipulate prices would be easy to detect, she added.

Zaharieva said the government would not allow such practices and, if any increase occurs, it would be no more than EUR 0.01. She urged retailers to display prices in both BGN and EUR and said stable government is vital for progress.

The European Commission and the European Central Bank have confirmed that Bulgaria meets all the necessary criteria to adopt the euro on January 1, 2026. Their assessments, released Wednesday, emphasize Bulgaria’s stable economy and readiness for integration, with formal EU approval processes to follow.