notes Marco Stefan, a research fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS). But its strength very much depends on its inclusiveness – now that Croatia has taken the measures to ensure that the necessary conditions are met, we must recognise this. If that happens soon, Croatia could be a part of Schengen by early 2020 and join the ERM-2 next year as well. Subscribe to our daily news digest. Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovic, is a strong supporter of the EU and is taking Croatia into deeper integration in all levels. In order to do so, Croatia first needed to convince Brussels that it was able to effectively manage the bloc’s external border – a particularly sensitive issue since the start of the migrant crisis. President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker announced “I would like the European Commission to give a recommendation before the end of our term in office for Croatia’s Schengen zone accession”, after successful talks with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. Moreover, opening borders is good for trade, while closing them would be horrifically expensive. Hungary provides a stark example, with its Prime Minister Viktor Orban garnering political capital by touting his new razor-wire border fence with Serbia. Despite being part of the EU, Croatia IS NOT part of the Schengen Zone. A report was published last year about the Schengen area’s dysfunctions, with members of the European Parliament concluding that internal checks are still in place because “we are paying the price of problems that are outside the scope of Schengen, such as asylum policy”, But Carlos Coelho, a Portuguese member of the European People’s Party and lead author of the study, holds a different stance, writing: “The Schengen area is one of the greatest achievements of the European Union. STRASBOURG, 22 October 2019 – The European Commission said today that Croatia has met the conditions for joining the Schengen Area and asked the Council of the EU to include Croatia … She has a M.Sc. This response would be a major contrast to the Balkan’s pro-EU-enlargement stance, which Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman recently spoke in favour of. Ressler therefore believes that "a potential delay in Croatia's accession would not be good for anyone because the situation with reforms will be long-lasting." We recently published a revised version of our, France and Spain Struggle Under the Second Wave, Insurance to Boost Tourism? The European Commission considers that, based on the results of the Schengen evaluation process initiated in 2016, Croatia has taken the measures needed to ensure that the necessary conditions for the full application of the Schengen rules […] The European Commission considers that, based on the results of the Schengen evaluation process initiated in 2016, Croatia has taken the measures needed to ensure that the necessary conditions for the full application of the Schengen rules and standards are met. 2. Your email address will not be published. The Schengen Agreement was created in 1985 and is named after the … She has worked as an analyst, reporter, and editor, covering extremism, culture, economics, and democracy. The Balkan region remains a popular route for migrants into Europe. Required fields are marked *, Amid criticism, #UK PM @BorisJohnson calls the bill a “legal safety net” to “protect against extreme interpretation… https://t.co/xZRVpb03YK, Failure to agree on new proposals by October will lead to a hard #Brexit, with #Britain facing potential shortage o… https://t.co/dQKXzNTmMK, Last week the #UK announced its intent to breach its Withdrawal Treaty with the #EU as it seeks to renegotiate… https://t.co/G2VUr71FB1, SouthEUSummit © Copyright 2021, All Rights Reserved. The Commission is today reporting on Croatia's progress in meeting the necessary conditions to join the Schengen area. Orban’s embrace of aggressive, anti-migrant rhetoric directly conflicts with the open border policy that Schengen allows. (Bloomberg) -- Six years after Croatia joined the European Union, the Balkan nation is getting a green light from the European Commission to join the bloc’s passport-free Schengen area.Croatia has continued to fulfill all of Schengen criteria, the Commission said in a statement in Brussels on Tuesday. There is also the issue of Bulgaria and Romania, which have both been awaiting the Council's decision to join Schengen for five years now. Prime Minister of Slovenia, Marjan Sarec, has said that Croatia should first implement the arbitration ruling concerning its border dispute with Slovenia before entering Schengen, which concerns jurisdiction over part of the border by the Adriatic Sea. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. French President Emmanuel Macron declared earlier this year that Schengen was not well suited to handle the challenges posed by mass migration – an issue he called the “second great European struggle” after climate change. Earlier this year, Amnesty International said European governments are not only “turning a blind eye to vicious assaults by the Croatian police”, but also funding their activities as part of efforts to improve security. In response to both the migration crisis and the wave of terrorist attacks that occurred in 2015 and 2016, several EU member states implemented internal border checks and security controls. The Commission is today reporting on Croatia's progress in meeting the necessary conditions to join the Schengen area. Croatia joined the EU on 1 July 2013, is also legally bound to eventually join the Schengen Area, implementation has been delayed. One response to “France ‘understands’ Croatia’s wish to join Schengen” musicmaster says: 15/01/2021 at 11:55 In March 2015, Croatia's then Interior Minister Ranko Ostojić said that his country was ready to join the Schengen Area. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System is a new visa waiver programme for Europe to be launched in 2022. “It’s an area that comes with freedoms and privileges but also with great responsibilities, joining this club is not something that we take lightly…”, said Greek Commissioner Dimitri Avramopoulos about the European Commissions’ recent approval. Croatia joined the EU on 1 July 2013, is also legally bound to eventually join the Schengen Area, implementation has been delayed. “We regret the decision of some countries which didn’t support launching the accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania because we strongly pushed for launching the negotiation process”, Radman said, speaking against France’s anti-enlargement position. The area is named after the original 1985 Schengen Agreement signed in Schengen, Luxembourg, and is made up of 26 European countries that have officially abolished passport and other border controls. The European Commission has announced that Croatia is finally eligible to join the Schengen zone, the EU’s passport-free travel area.. Six years after the Balkan nation joined the European Union and after being examined by the Commission for the past 4 years, it has been determined that Croatia has taken the necessary measures to ensure the security of the EU’s external border. Croatia expects to meet the technical criteria for the border-free European Union's Schengen zone by year-end and hopes to join it by 2020, a senior Interior Ministry official said on Tuesday. EU support, however, is not guaranteed. Schengen accession: Croatia on the way to join the Schengen Area Wednesday, 23 October, 2019 The Commission is today reporting on Croatia's progress in meeting … The Republic of Croatia hopes to join the border-free Schengen Area by 2020, due to expectations to meet the technical criteria by the end of this year. in International Conflict from the London School of Economics and Political Science. As Slobodna Dalmacija/Jutarnji list/Kresimir Zabec writes on the 29th of September, 2019, the Republic of Croatia will not be part of the Schengen area for at least another two years, despite the fact the European Commission is likely to confirm that the country has fulfilled the Schengen technical requirements next week, Jutarnji list learned from diplomatic sources. Juncker also supports Croatia’s bid to join the European Exchange Mechanism (ERM-2), which is a two-year long window that occurs before a country is permitted to switch from their currency to the euro. The Schengen Area consists of 26 states, including four which are not members of the European Union (EU). The Commission confirmed that Croatia continues to fulfil the commitments, linked to the Schengen rules, that it undertook in the accession negotiations. The decision to allow Croatia to join the Schengen area must be upheld by all EU governments. Croatia applied for EU membership in 2003and the decision was granted in the following year by the European Council. National governments made Schengen into the scapegoat for the failures of security policies. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. This is why I trust that Member States will take the right steps for Croatia to become a full Schengen member soon.”, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said: “Schengen is one of the greatest and most tangible achievements of European integration. The Balkan’s approval is a sore point for these two states, however, as Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU six years earlier than Croatia but are still waiting to be allowed into the area. We recently published a revised version of our Privacy Statement and Terms and Conditions. Twenty-two out of 28 EU member states participate; those who do not are legally obliged to join the zone at some point in the future. Paris understands Croatia’s wish to be admitted to the Schengen area, France’s Foreign and Europe Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said during his visit to Zagreb. The Commission is today reporting on Croatia's progress in meeting the necessary conditions to join the Schengen area. The European Commission has given its formal approval for Croatia to join the EU Schengen area. The European Commission considers that, based on the results of the Schengen evaluation process initiated in 2016, Croatia has taken the measures needed to ensure that the necessary conditions for the full application of the Schengen rules and standards are met. On 22 October 2019, the European Commission backed Croatia to join the Schengen Area, a preliminary stage for full accession into the Schengen … Six years after Croatia joined the European Union, the Balkan nation is getting a green light from the European Commission to join the bloc’s passport-free Schengen area. The Commission confirmed that Croatia continues to fulfil the commitments, linked to the Schengen rules, that it undertook in the accession negotiations. If Slovenia or France choose to veto the addition, Croatia’s bid for Schengen admission will come to an end. “I believe Croatia is ready to join the ERM-2”, Juncker said. If this decision is supported by fellow EU members, the country will become the newest member of the passport-free travel zone in the near future.. The country officially applied to join on 1st July 2015 (the two year anniversary of joining the EU), but it is still not yet part of the Zone. Schengen has found itself weakened over the last few years. If that happens soon, Croatia could be a part of Schengen by early 2020 and join the ERM-2 next year as well. In his 2017 State of the Union Address, President Juncker expressed his unequivocal support for Croatia becoming a full Schengen member once all the necessary conditions were met. Check out their recommendation below. If Croatia does eventually join the Schengen Area, it will benefit from ETIAS. “This is why I trust the member states will take the right steps for Croatia to become a full Schengen member soon.”. By using this site, you agree to these revised documents including the use of cookies to enhance your experience. Croatia hopeful it will join the Schengen Area by 2020. Humanitarian groups estimate that there are over 5,500 people seeking access from the Bosnian border. Alternatively, there is evidence that Croatia has been overzealously policing their borders and deporting migrants back to Bosnia against EU conventions. Six years after Croatia joined the European Union, the Balkan nation is getting a green light from the European Commission to join the bloc’s passport-free Schengen area. He intends to raise the issue again in 2020, and hopes the topic will be on the EU’s agenda during a planned summit in Zagreb next year. Croatia became an EU member in 2013 but to join the Schengen area it had to convince Brussels that it was able to effectively manage the bloc’s external border, a particularly sensitive issue since Europe’s 2015 migrant crisis. Schengen accession: Croatia on the way to join the Schengen Area. Switzerlandwas allowed to participate in the same manner in 2008. 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