site.btaPM Zhelyazkov: Bulgaria Has Been Assessed On Merit for Meeting Maastricht Criteria

Bulgaria has been assessed on merit for meeting the Maastricht criteria, which shows the convergence of the Bulgarian economy with the requirements of the European Union for sustainability and stability, said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov during a news briefing at the Council of Ministers on Thursday after a meeting with EU Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Implementation and Simplification Valdis Dombrovskis. The talks were also attended by EU Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva and Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova.

Dombrovskis and Zaharieva are visiting Bulgaria in connection with the publication of the Convergence Report 2025.

The Prime Minister said that on Wednesday the European Commission and the European Central Bank published their reports according to which Bulgaria meets these requirements. The decision is expected in July that the derogation that has existed since the entry into force of the Treaty on the Accession of Bulgaria to the EU will be abolished, which means that Bulgaria will introduce the euro and will be admitted to the euro area from January 1 2026. 

"This in no way means that Bulgaria is abandoning its national currency, on the contrary - it is joining the common European currency, but above all the Bulgarian economy, Bulgarian finances are sustainable and are as close as possible to the European criteria for stability and sustainable Especially in the context of all the geopolitical challenges, membership in the euro area will make the Bulgarian economy, Bulgarian trade more competitive and will guarantee better growth, and this means more income, more purchasing power, a greater degree of convergence with European living standards," the prime minister said.