Bulgarian National Bank: The Technical Work on the Adoption of the Euro Continues

The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) has no formal basis and has not suspended the technical work on the adoption of the euro. It is being carried out on schedule and within the bank's budget for 2023, the press center of the Bulgarian National Bank said regarding political comments that the process of joining the Eurozone should be stopped.

Earlier today, in front of journalists in the parliament, the MP from "Vazrazhdane" Deyan Nikolov pointed out that since Bulgaria will not enter the Eurozone from 2024, the decision of the National Assembly obliging the institutions to speed up the work on accepting us among the countries using the single currency is not binding.

Nikolov urged that if there are new steps towards the Eurozone, they should be taken after the referendum initiated by the party he represents.

The BNB also indicated that the work on integrating Bulgaria into the Eurozone has not stopped:

"On April 13 this year, the Governing Council of the BNB adopted a draft of a new Law on the BNB, which creates the legal framework for the work of the BNB in the conditions of the Eurozone. The draft has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance and is in the process of being agreed with the ECB. the preparation for the test minting of the Bulgarian euro coins, as well as the adaptation of the payment systems, is also underway."

On another topic raised by "Vazrazhdane" - about the return of Bulgaria's gold reserves from London, the BNB indicated:

"In its periodic public reports, the BNB provides comprehensive information on Bulgaria's gold reserves. Relocation of the gold reserves is not on the agenda and has no connection with the process of our accession to the Eurozone."