28 May 2026 12:48 UTC · European Commission · EU Commission Press Release · Source · Email X Link

European Commission says von der Leyen welcomes Bulgarian PM

Key points

Euro adoption benefits Bulgaria
Reforms and anti-corruption to unlock EU funds

TL;DR

President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev to the Berlaymont in Brussels.
Bulgaria adopted the euro in January; two-thirds of Bulgarians report a smooth transition and payments/travel benefits.
NextGenerationEU has delivered nearly EUR 3.3 billion to Bulgaria, with an August 2026 deadline to unlock remaining resources.
Anti-corruption reforms (Anti-corruption Commission; reorganisation of the Prosecutor General's office) could release about EUR 370 million of suspended funding.
Energy reform will strengthen Bulgarian Energy Holding and support EUR 1.2 billion in clean energy investments via NextGenerationEU and the Just Transition Fund.
The Commission will support Bulgaria with over EUR 3.2 billion under SAFE and is ready to sign the loan agreement; discussion included MFF and regional security related to Russia and the Middle East.

Original text

European Commission - Statement Statement by President von der Leyen with Bulgarian Prime Minister Radev Brussels, 28 May 2026 Dear Prime Minister Radev, It is a great pleasure to welcome you again to the Berlaymont today. This has been a very important year for Bulgaria. Since January, the euro is bringing benefits to Bulgaria, making payments and travel easier for people. And it is allowing companies to take full advantage of our common Single Market. Two out of three Bulgarians consider that the transition to the euro has been smooth and efficient. This is a shared success. Congratulations also on your win in the parliamentary elections. It can bring much-needed stability to the Bulgarian people and to the region. Today, we have exchanged views on several strategic priorities to ensure our long-term prosperity and shared security. First, we of course discussed many of the upcoming reforms. Our NextGenerationEU programme is bringing real impact on the ground. Thanks to it, Bulgaria has already received nearly EUR 3.3 billion in funding. But we all know that there is the deadline in August 2026. So, the goal is to unlock resources by then. For this, we must maintain momentum on reforms. Here I want to highlight the good progress made by Bulgaria in anti-corruption. The establishment of the Anti-corruption Commission is key to effectively pursue corruption at all levels. What really matters is that it can do this work in an independent manner. In this context, I very much welcome that the legislative process is already well underway. Your government is therefore delivering on this significant milestone. Another important step in anti-corruption is the reorganisation of the Prosecutor General's office. The aim is to strengthen its position for successful anti-corruption investigations. Both pillars together will allow to unlock almost EUR 370 million of suspended funding for Bulgaria. This is good news for Bulgaria, it is good news for Europe as anti-corruption is a key deliverable for the European Union. The second big reform topic we have discussed is making the Bulgarian energy system fit for the future. There will be a strengthening of the profitable part of the state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding, in particular the part that is producing clean energy. The reform is a major step for the improvement of the Bulgarian energy system. Here the Commission will play its part. We will support you and the region with the Just Transition Fund. Because the clean energy transition must benefit every part of Europe and reach every citizen. With the new jobs, growth and investment that go with it. This reform is linked to important resources for Bulgaria under NextGenerationEU. In total, there are EUR 1.2 billion in the plan for clean energy investments in Bulgaria. Then we also spoke about the next long-term budget. We need a modern, flexible budget that empowers our regions, supports our farmers and protects our citizens. It is vital that we reach a comprehensive agreement on the MFF before the end of this year. We also discussed geopolitics. We share a firm commitment to reach a lasting diplomatic solution for the Middle East. Finally, we spoke about the security challenges on our borders and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. From air raid alerts to Russia's deliberate hybrid attacks – the security threats on our eastern border are testing Europe as a whole. Bulgaria has a crucial role to play in our collective defence, in particular in our Eastern Flank Watch. We will support Bulgaria with more than EUR 3.2 billion under SAFE as we just discussed. And we are ready to sign our loan agreement with Bulgaria at any time. Dear Rumen, I look forward to our continued cooperation and to discussing many of these critical topics at our European Council sessions. STATEMENT/26/1183 Press contacts: Paula PINHO (+32 2 29 20815) Arianna PODESTA (+32 2 298 70 24) Olof GILL (+32 2 29 65966) General public inquiries: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 67 89 10 11 or by email Related media European Commission President Ursula von der LEYEN receives the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Rumen RADEV

European Commission says von der Leyen welcomes Bulgarian PM

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