"You meet the conditions": EU gets a new member?

The report, prepared at the request of the Bulgarian authorities, confirmed that the country meets the four nominal convergence criteria required for the adoption of the euro and that its legislation is aligned with the rules of the European Union, reports Anadolu Agency.

"This marks a critical and historic step on Bulgaria's path to adopting the euro," the commission said, adding that the country's economy is sufficiently prepared for eurozone integration.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed this development, saying that today Bulgaria is one step closer to adopting the euro as its currency.

"Thanks to the euro, Bulgaria's economy will become stronger, with more trade with eurozone partners, foreign direct investment, access to finance, quality jobs and real incomes," she said.

Bulgaria will become the 21st member of the Eurozone, pending the final decision of the EU Council.

The commission's report was published with a parallel assessment by the European Central Bank.

Bulgaria submitted its official request for a special Convergence Report in February 2025.