BCCI Survey: Businesses’ Estimate for the Introduction and Three-Month Use of the Euro as National Currency

∙ The catastrophic scenarios for the Euro introduction did not unfold.

∙ 66% of companies did not have any significant problems and the transition to the Euro completed successfully.

From 5 to 13 March 2026, BCCI conducted a Survey among its members on the following topic: ‘How does your organisation assess the implementation of the transition to the Euro?’. The topic is important and interesting, now after three months have passed since Bulgaria joined the Eurozone, especially after the propagated negative scenarios which did not unfold. Businesses were prepared and normally, they had difficulties related to purely technical activities for the transition to the new currency – training of staff and concerns of people and businesses about whether and how the first month of using the two currencies would pass. Obviously, the system coped well and the problems were temporary, transient and fully solvable. The banking system was completely prepared to ensure the smooth transition.

66% of the companies, participating in the Survey, did not have any significant problems and the transition to the Euro was made successfully.

Some of the most prominent challenges to businesses are related to an increase in the prices of raw materials and other materials, used in their activity (38% of companies), as well as some pressure, observed to make an increase in salaries (34%), connected also with the rise in the minimum working salary at the beginning of the year and the expectations of higher inflation in late 2025 and early 2026.

The expected behaviour of the respondents towards such a fundamental change of the monetary model in these first months of the year shows that 26% of companies witness more timid purchases with an insufficient level of demand. People are waiting to see in what direction and how the business environment will change, as well as the prices and the supply & demand for products. If there is a spike in prices, it will not be determined solely by a change of the currency, but by other factors as well.

A small part of the surveyed micro- and small companies (16%) have had technical issues and problems with their accounting software. The majority of these problems are caused also by an insufficient preparation of the companies to adjust accounting software, as well as an insufficient additional capacity of IT departments and software developers to fine-tune the systems within short time limits.

In the next months, the main risks to prices will rather come from external economic and international factors and the geopolitical environment – that is, effects connected with the prices of fuels, electricity, a surge in the prices of raw materials, etc., caused by the unstable external environment and conflicts, rather than by the very introduction of the Euro.

Conclusion: The positive attitudes towards Bulgaria’s joining the Eurozone definitely outweigh the negative ones – they are clearly shown not only among businesses but already among citizens, too.

The main factors for this positive trend include the calm and smooth transition to the Euro which has refuted the fears of significant problems after its introduction and brings relief to people and businesses.