1 January 2025, if efforts are made, is a possible and realistic date for Bulgaria's accession to the euro area. This is what Bulgarian National Bank Governor Dimitar Radev said during a hearing in Parliament. In his words, BNB and the Bulgarian banking sector are already part of it. He said that the banking sector and currency stability are the most complex criteria for a country to join the euro area, and Bulgaria has met these criteria in 2020. 

"We are this close to joining the euro area and it is strange to start thinking now about whether to accept the common European currency," he stressed.