The Commission approves partial payment of 1.6 billion EUR to Bulgaria, citing delays in anti-corruption reforms.

Brussels, December 2, 2025 The European Commission has partially approved the payment request of 1.6 billion EUR submitted by Bulgaria under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), confirming that the member state has met 48 out of the 50 milestones and targets related to the tranche. Two essential reforms in the area of the rule of law remain unfinished, which has led the institution to propose delaying a part of the payment until the conditions are fully met.

In short

The Commission approves 48 out of 50 milestones and targets, but temporarily withholds part of the total amount.

The outstanding reforms concern the new anti-corruption body and the accountability of the Attorney General.

Bulgaria has one month to respond and up to six months to address the deficiencies.

According to the Commission's assessment, Bulgaria has made substantial progress in areas such as the green transition, digitalization of public administration, modernization of the healthcare system, supporting research and innovation, strengthening social protection, and developing sustainable transport. Among the more sensitive validated milestones are the adoption of measures to gradually reduce the use of coal or lignite-fired power plants, setting annual emission limits for existing power plants, and expanding investments in the production and storage of renewable energy.

The two remaining milestones, considered critical for the functioning of the rule of law, relate to the establishment of the new independent anti-corruption body and the operationalization of the accountability mechanism for the Attorney General. The Commission emphasizes that these reforms play a central role in ensuring the transparency, integrity, and accountability of institutions in Bulgaria, which is why the payment related to these objectives will be timed.

Under the RRF regulation, the Commission can withhold part of the funding if certain reforms or investments are not completed at the time of assessment. Bulgaria has one month to present observations and up to six months to remedy the identified deficiencies. The partial payment for the validated milestones can be made after the issuance of the opinion of the Economic and Financial Committee and after the final decision of the European Commission.

The National Recovery and Resilience Plan of Bulgaria has a total value of 6.17 billion EUR in the form of grants. With this third payment request, the implementation rate of the reforms in the Bulgarian NRRP continues to advance, but the completion of reforms in the area of the rule of law remains crucial for the full unlocking of funds.

https://2eu.brussels/articol/stiri/comisia-aproba-partial-plata-de-16-miliarde-eur-catre-bulgaria-invocand-restante-la-reformele-anticoruptie