Dombrovskis: January 1, 2025 is possible date for Bulgaria's accession to the Eurozone

January 1, 2025 is a possible date for Bulgaria's accession to the Eurozone, said the Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis in an exclusive interview on NOVA on Thursday.

He underlined the European Commission supports Bulgaria's entry into the Eurozone, as far as the specific map is concerned, the Maastricht criteria must be met, including stability, etc. These criteria are covered, but as far as inflation is concerned, this is subject to assessment by EC experts and this assessment has shown that the inflation criterion will not be able to be covered earlier than January 2025, Dombrovskis said.

He underlined that the inflation in Bulgaria is not the highest among the countries in Eastern Europe.

“Joining the euro brings serious benefits, more financial stability, lower interest rates, transparency for businesses. These are all benefits that contribute to the economic development of the country,” the EC vice-president explained.

“First, energy prices must be tamed. Second, measures to support the economy must be taken. They have to be temporary and targeted, and Bulgaria's fiscal policies are very solid. Attention must be paid to the fight against tax evasion, some more important laws must be adopted in Bulgaria to fight money laundering,” Dombrovskis recommended.

Commenting on the “Magnitsky” list, Dombrovskis said that the sanctions were imposed by the US and in the EU there are other sanctions against certain people, and national legislation must be properly applied.