European Union officials gave the green light Wednesday for Bulgaria to become the 21st member of the euro currency union,, a key EU project aimed at deepening the ties between member countries. The Balkan country of 6.

"Today, the European Commission concluded that Bulgaria is ready to adopt the euro as of 1 January 2026 – a key milestone that would make it the twenty-first Member State to join the euro area," the Commission said in a statement.

Bulgaria has been given sign-off to join the euro zone. The country becoming part of the euro zone would take the bloc from 20 to 21 members. Countries need to meet several criteria, including on price stability,