Bulgaria under EU deficit procedure while gender‑pay reporting remains delayed

One year after adopting the euro, Bulgaria has entered an EU excessive deficit procedure. Economists say the problem stems from structural fiscal deficits that have deepened since 2020, not from eurozone membership. The finance ministry reported a deficit of about €2.4 billion, roughly 2 % of GDP, for the first half of the year. The European Commission has asked the government to present corrective measures by 15 October, warning that a fine of up to 0.05 % of GDP could follow and that market confidence may be eroded.

At the same time, Bulgaria is among 23 EU member states that missed the 7 June 2026 deadline to transpose the EU gender‑pay transparency directive. The draft amendment to the Anti‑Discrimination Law is still under public consultation. The European Trade Union Confederation estimates that if the gender pay gap were reduced by 10 %, women in covered firms could earn an additional €28 billion annually – about €672 per woman. The new rules will require employers to disclose initial salary information and allow employees to request pay data, with reporting obligations phased in by company size starting in 2027.