On Thursday 25 June, the European Commission formally proposed to the Council of the European Union that an excessive deficit procedure be opened against Bulgaria so that it brings the deficit back below the threshold of 3% of national GDP by the end of 2029.
According to the EU institution, the excessive deficit in Bulgaria reached -3.5% of GDP in 2025 and is expected to rise to -4.1% in 2026, owing in particular to expenditure linked to increases in civil servants’ salaries (see EUROPE 13880/5).
In a draft recommendation, the Commission recommends setting the following annual net expenditure growth path: 4.2% in 2026, 3.4% in 2027, 3.4% in 2028 and 3.2% in 2029. Departures from this path appear possible, provided certain conditions are met.
Bulgaria will be asked to present, by 15 October, measures enabling it to comply with this path, which the Council of the EU will be invited to adopt at the meeting of European finance ministers on Friday 10 July.
To see the draft recommendation: https://aeur.eu/f/mlv ; and the draft decision establishing the existence of an excessive deficit: https://aeur.eu/f/mlu (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)