Our Scans · Bulgaria · Weekly Summary

• [New] Bulgaria's accession to the Eurozone will improve foreign investors' perception of risk and accelerate economic convergence. economic-research.bnpparibas.com
• The war in Ukraine is turning the Black Sea into a zone of heightened tension and risk for Bulgaria. The Sofia Globe
• Greece and Bulgaria have toughened their borders, meaning that Turkey can no longer so easily threaten to flood the EU with migrants. Hindustan Times
• In eastern Europe (Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Cyprus), the EET time zone will change to EEST. BabyPips.com Forum
• Leaders of regional gas transmission system operators such as Hungary's FGSZ, Romania's Transgaz, Bulgaria's Bulgartransgaz, Ukraine's GTSOU and Greece's DESFA will attend the Budapest Hydrogen Summit to assess the repurposing of the gas infrastructure and how it can support hydrogen deployment. CEENERGYNEWS
• From the beginning of 2025, Romania and Bulgaria will enter the Schengen Zone through land borders as well. SchengenNews
• The full integration of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen Area will simplify the roll out of the European Union's Entry / Exit System, as Bulgaria and Romania will no longer be subject to the more complex provisions applicable to countries which only partially implement Schengen rules. Fragomen
• Hydrogen volumes produced or imported into Greece and Bulgaria will be able to be transported through Bulgaria, where a similar pipeline is planned and then through the Southeast Hydrogen Corridor to and from Central Europe. GreekReporter.com
• Bulgaria and Turkey will explore options to increase natural gas transit capacity at their joint border, a move that may allow greater flows from Russia and the Caspian region to reach central Europe. financialpost
• Austria, Bulgaria, Poland and Slovenia, will deploy new AI-optimised systems with AI Factories to further expand Europe's AI infrastructure. The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaki
• The remaining five aircraft are on the assembly line, so by the end of 2025 Bulgaria will receive all eight F-16s that Lockheed Martin is producing under the first contract signed by the governments of Bulgaria and the United States in 2019. The Sofia Globe
• Several EU countries are expected to see their populations decline by more than 15% by 2050, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania. Frontiers
• Bulgaria and Romania would not want any instability in maritime regimes but would appreciate reduced accident risk in Bosphorus. Erkan's Field Diary
• The low cost of living and lower cost of operating a business in Romania and Bulgaria will add additional incentives. Global Citizen Solutions
• With regard to Black Sea security, the EU could help finance Turkey's defence industry to build ships for Romania and Bulgaria (in addition to Ukraine). European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
• Women are expected to live longer and in good health in Malta (70 years and four months), Bulgaria (68 years and ten months) and Slovenia (68 years and six months). Eunews
• Bulgaria has paid a very big price, both in terms of reputational price and economic price, sacrificing its interests under a threat from the United States. Gilbert Doctorow
• We can expect new solar farms in Hungary, the Czech Republic, the flatlands of southern and central Spain and Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and parts of Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Accounting for age, health conditions, and socioeconomic status in the overall vulnerability of a region to adverse health effects of air pollution, the highest vulnerability levels are observed in the Balkan countries, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece. SpringerLink
• With the addition of Romania and Bulgaria, the Schengen Zone's expansion enhances connectivity and economic opportunities, benefiting millions of citizens and travelers across Europe. IAM (immigration and migration)
• At the border crossings between Bulgaria and Romania, random checks will continue for six months, based on risk analysis, as a step against irregular migration. The Sofia Globe
• Another important and long-awaited change that will take place in 2025 is the entry of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen Area through land borders. SchengenNews
• Romania and Bulgaria's integration into the Schengen Zone will largely enhance connectivity within the EU, simplify cross-border movement, and improve trade opportunities. Savory Partners

Last updated: 17 June 2025