''Today, the European Commission and the European Central Bank categorically stated that Bulgaria meets the criteria for eurozone membership. This is a cause for pride for Bulgarian society, which in the late 1990s embarked on the path to be part of the union of developed and free European countries", Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said at a briefing, BNR’s Horizont channel reported. Premier Zhelyazkov emphasized that, through hard work and deprivation, Bulgarians have achieved things that many other nations have not.

"Bulgarian citizens and businesses should be assured that we will not allow unjustified price increases", said Minister of Finance Temenuzhka Petkova, adding that the government will work to ensure a smooth transition to the euro. "The Bulgarian government is ready to adopt the euro as of January 1, 2026. We have been preparing for this process for a long time", Minister Petkova pointed out. The Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, Dimitar Radev, noted that the current task for BNB is to bring the already established technical and logistical infrastructure into "eurozone mode", which includes information systems, payment systems, accounting and statistics.

A major information campaign about the euro is set to begin. One month after the Council’s decision, dual indication of prices in leva and euro will be introduced.

• EP, ECB convergence reports greenlight Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone

• Roberta Metsola welcomes the assessment of Bulgaria’s readiness for the euro

• Control mechanism to ensure smooth transition to the euro in Bulgaria