The European Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Paolo Gentiloni, expressed the Commission's full support for the accession of Bulgaria to Schengen, as well as for the country's efforts to meet the euro zone criteria, during a meeting with Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov in Sofia. Commissioner Gentiloni is on a two-day visit to Bulgaria to discuss with the Bulgarian authorities and interested parties the economic prospects of the EU and Bulgaria on the eve of 2024. 

Mr Gentiloni and Mr Denkov discussed Bulgaria's judicial reform, the fight against corruption and decarbonisation - key issues for the implementation of Bulgaria's Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Prime Minister pointed out that the Cabinet was acting fully in line with the European Commission's expectations. In the coming weeks, Parliament will take important decisions on these issues.