Влиянието на предстоящото членство в еврозоната върху стратегиите за предприемачество в България: възможности и рискове за малки и средни предприятия
The Impact of the Upcoming Eurozone Membership on Entrepreneurship Strategies in Bulgaria: Opportunities and Risks for SMEs

Author(s): Stefan Doykin
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Economy, National Economy, Business Economy / Management, Economic policy, EU-Approach / EU-Accession / EU-Development
Published by: Университет за национално и световно стопанство (УНСС)
Keywords: Eurozone; SMEs, Funds; Bulgaria; Entrepreneurship
Summary/Abstract: In the context of accelerated European integration, Bulgaria’s upcoming membership of the euro area, scheduled for 1 January 2026, represents a key milestone in the country’s economic development. Following approval by the European Commission and the European Central Bank in June 2025, as well as the final legal acts of the EU Council in July of the same year, Bulgaria will move from a currency board of the lev to the full adoption of the euro as its official currency. This report presents and analyses the impact of Bulgaria’s upcoming membership of the euro area from 1 January 2026 on the entrepreneurial strategies of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs, the main driver of the Bulgarian economy, will face opportunities such as reduced transaction costs, easier access to finance, increased investment and facilitated trade and supply chains. However, the euro requires adaptation to stricter fiscal and monetary rules of the European Central Bank (ECB), which poses challenges such as a potential loss of flexibility in responding to local economic shocks and transitional costs for digitalization and training. These changes will affect entrepreneurial strategies, emphasizing the need for a balance between exploiting new investment opportunities and managing the risks of inflationary pressures and reduced competitiveness. The research uses the basic principles of the systems approach and analysis. The research methods used are: logical analysis of existing concepts in the theory, related to the specifics of entrepreneurship in Bulgaria and Bulgaria's membership in the euro area; analysis and synthesis of data from the Bulgarian National Bank, the National Statistical Institute, Eurostat, quantitative data collected through a questionnaire survey with entrepreneurs and descriptive analysis of the main applied elements of Bulgarian business practices and their adaptation strategies.

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