site.btaBNB Governor Dimitar Radev Confers with EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis

On Friday, Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) Governor Dimitar Radev held a working meeting with European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis, who is in Bulgaria following the release of the convergence reports by the European Commission and the European Central Bank on Bulgaria’s readiness to join the eurozone.

The main focus of the discussion was the reports, which confirmed that Bulgaria meets the criteria for eurozone membership as of January 1, 2026. The two sides also discussed the upcoming steps and the importance of a public information campaign to facilitate the transition from the lev to the euro, the press release further said.

Earlier in the day, Dombrovskis also participated in a meeting with ambassadors of EU member states, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, and representatives of the diplomatic corps. The event was hosted by Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova and BNB Governor Dimitar Radev.

On June 19–20, finance ministers in the Eurogroup and the Economic and Financial Affairs Council Configuration (ECOFIN) are expected to discuss the reports and adopt a recommendation from eurozone member states to the EU Council regarding Bulgaria’s adoption of the euro.

On June 26–27, EU leaders in the European Council format are also expected to consider the convergence reports and the draft decision on Bulgaria’s eurozone entry.

On July 8, the European Parliament is expected to issue an opinion on the draft Council Decision on the adoption of the euro by Bulgaria. That same day, the ministers in ECOFIN are set to approve the legally binding acts related to Bulgaria’s accession to the eurozone starting January 1, 2026.