Sofia, Bulgaria – The process of transitioning to the euro in Bulgaria is ongoing, with over 86% of the levs withdrawn as of February 23rd. This was stated by Vladimir Ivanov, chairman of the Coordination Center for the Euro Mechanism, during a briefing.

Lev Exchange:

  • The exchange of levs for euros continues, with over 140,000 transactions totaling 220 million leva carried out at the Bulgarian Post.
  • Elderly people are urged to be careful and seek exchange institutions.

Counterfeit Banknotes:

  • From February 13th to 18th, 13 new cases of attempts to circulate counterfeit euro banknotes were registered.
  • 117 banknotes were seized, predominantly with a denomination of 500 euros.
  • Since the beginning of the year, 143 attempts to circulate counterfeit banknotes have been registered.

Inspections and Violations:

  • Dual pricing in leva and euros remains in effect until August 8th.
  • The Consumer Protection Commission (KZP) conducted 279 inspections and identified 34 violations.
  • The National Revenue Agency (NAP) conducted over 9570 inspections and found 547 violations.
  • The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency conducted 575 inspections.

Ivanov emphasized that inspections to ensure compliance with the Law on the Introduction of the Euro will continue and violators will be sanctioned.