In remarks at the start of a two-day visit to Bulgaria, the European Council highlighted Bulgaria’s recent accession to the Schengen area and its progress in the process to adopt the euro, pointing to inflation as the key criterion for eurozone entry and referencing an upcoming assessment by the European Commission and the European Central Bank. The intervention framed the European Union’s current priorities as competitiveness and defence, describing them as interlinked. The visit programme referenced stops in Sofia and Stara Zagora, including visits to defence industries, a university, and an institute expected to be one of six “AI factories” in Europe, presented as an example of how defence-related investment can also support industrial capacity, research and innovation. Next steps referenced were the forthcoming European Commission and ECB assessment of Bulgaria’s inflation criterion in the coming months.
European Council 2025-04-27
European Council highlights Bulgaria’s euro adoption path and links EU competitiveness to defence investment during visit
The European Council, visiting Bulgaria, emphasized its recent Schengen accession and progress towards euro adoption, with inflation as a key eurozone entry criterion. The visit highlighted EU priorities of competitiveness and defence, with stops in Sofia and Stara Zagora showcasing defence industries and AI research. An upcoming assessment by the European Commission and European Central Bank will evaluate Bulgaria's inflation criterion.