Bulgaria has the green light to join the euro next year and become the 21st member of the European Union's currency union.

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,

The European Commission and the European Central Bank gave Bulgaria the go-ahead on Wednesday to adopt the euro currency from the start of 2026, making Bulgaria the 21st country to join the single currency area.