No Eurozone Candidate Ready to Adopt Euro

In its 2026 Convergence Report, the European Commission said that none of the five eligible EU member states outside the eurozone, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden, currently meets all the conditions for adopting the euro.

The assessment is prepared by the European Commission in collaboration with the European Central Bank at least once every two years. It evaluates compliance with the so-called Maastricht criteria, which include price stability, sound public finances, and the stability of exchange rates and long-term interest rates. It also examines the compatibility of national legislation with EU rules and the functioning of the European System of Central Banks.

The Commission said the Czech Republic and Sweden meet the criteria for price stability, public finances and long-term interest rates. However, none of the countries under review is a member of the Exchange Rate Mechanism II (ERM II), which countries must join for at least two years before adopting the euro.

The euro is currently used by 21 EU member states and more than 350 million people. All EU member states except Denmark have made a legal commitment to adopt the single currency. According to the Commission's June 2025 assessment, Bulgaria met the conditions for introducing the euro as of 1 January 2026.

(commission.europa, bak)