site.btaBulgaria, Eurozone Will Grow Stronger Together, Says EU Commissioner Zaharieva

Bulgaria’s accession to the eurozone on January 1, 2026, will strengthen both the country and the eurozone, said European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, and Startups Ekaterina Zaharieva at a press conference at the Council of Ministers on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, Zaharieva met with Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova, and European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis. The two commissioners are on an official visit to Bulgaria in connection with the 2025 Convergence Report published on Wednesday. The discussions focused on the final steps ahead for Bulgaria following the European Commission and European Central Bank’s recent announcement that the country is fully prepared to join the euro area as of January 1, 2026, having met all convergence criteria. 

Zaharieva called Bulgaria’s upcoming accession to the eurozone one of the best pieces of news for future generations.

She thanked the Bulgarian Government for its efforts in making the ad hoc convergence report possible. “I thank you as a Bulgarian, as a European Commissioner from Bulgaria, and as a former minister who has worked with you to make this report possible today,” she said.

Zaharieva pointed out that it is natural for Bulgarian citizens to have questions about adopting the euro.

“But what I heard today in the meetings with the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and their teams is that they are ready. They have full support from the European Commission, a clear plan, an information campaign, and are working closely with banks and retailers. Joining the eurozone is a choice the Bulgarian people made long ago. I am pleased with this choice and confident that the remaining technical process will be smooth and trouble-free,” she said.

According to Zaharieva, the information campaign will be the most important task in the remaining six months before Bulgaria transitions to the euro.