The European Commission has given a partially positive assessment of Bulgaria’s third payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), which is the main element of NextGenerationEU, the EU’s program to support recovery, economic growth, and competitiveness.
After assessing Bulgaria’s third payment request of €1.6 billion, submitted on October 1, 2025, the Commission found that Bulgaria had implemented 22 reforms and 19 investments for the benefit of citizens and businesses, focusing on key areas such as the green and digital transition, research and innovation, health, social protection, sustainable transport, and business modernization.
Bulgaria has successfully completed 48 of the 50 key milestones and targets related to the third payment request under its recovery and resilience plan.
This assessment marks a significant step towards the release of EU funds to support Bulgaria’s efforts towards economic growth and sustainability.
The main measures covered by the third payment request include a ban on new installations for electricity production from hard coal or lignite, as well as a cap on annual CO2 emissions for existing power plants running on hard coal and lignite; investments in renewable energy production and electricity storage; and making the healthcare profession more attractive.
The EC also found that milestone 220 (Establishment and start of operations of an anti-corruption body) and part of the requirements of key milestone 222 (Entry into force of legal act(s) on criminal proceedings and the accountability and criminal liability of the chief prosecutor) have not been satisfactorily fulfilled at this stage.
As a result, the EC proposes to temporarily suspend part of the payment in accordance with the RRF Regulation. This approach allows Member States to address outstanding milestones while continuing to receive funds for those milestones and targets that have been successfully achieved.
Next steps
The EC shared its preliminary assessment of Bulgaria’s payment request with the Economic and Financial Committee (EFC). The EFC has four weeks to submit its opinion. Once the EFC has given its opinion, the EC can formally approve the payment to Bulgaria.
At the same time, the EC informed Bulgaria of the reasons why it considers that two key milestones have not been satisfactorily achieved. Bulgaria has one month to respond to this assessment.
If the key milestones are not completed, the EC will temporarily withhold part of the payment. The amount withheld will be calculated using the standard method set out in Annex II to the Communication on the RRF.
Bulgaria will then have six months to take action and meet all remaining requirements. Once the milestones have been completed, the remainder of the payment will be released.
Payment to Bulgaria for the key milestones and targets already approved can be made after a positive opinion from the EFC and the adoption of a payment decision by the Commission.
