CEF Member Bulgaria Adopts the Euro
On January 1, 2026, Bulgaria, one of the CEF member countries, joined the euro area. This is a historic milestone and an important step toward deeper economic integration in Europe. We congratulate our Bulgarian partners on this major achievement. The adoption of the euro is expected to strengthen monetary stability, facilitate cross-border transactions, and offer a stronger foundation for long-term growth and resilience.
As a long-standing CEF member, Bulgaria has been actively engaged in regional cooperation and capacity development through the CEF learning program that is also designed to help central banks and ministries of finance navigate monetary, financial, and technological developments, especially important during the euro adoption process.
In 2026, the CEF learning program will continue to follow the developments in the Eurosystem and its monetary responses to economic conditions. We will also explore payments and settlement systems by pairing modernization with strong oversight, resilience, and interoperability. These are key elements for safe and efficient financial intermediation within the Eurosystem. In the context of Bulgaria’s euro adoption, these learning activities support central banks in translating policy decisions into effective operational practice and provides opportunities for new knowledge and advanced expertise to be shared across the non-euro CEF members.
Through our participatory approach, we will continue to strengthen institutional capacities and deliver practical learning that supports effective monetary policy implementation, sound financial market infrastructures, and smooth integration into the euro area.
For upcoming opportunities for learning at the CEF, please visit: Monetary Policy Making and Financial Markets website.