Croatia gets green light, enters Schengen on the first day of next year

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Interior ministers of EU member states and the Schengen area made a final decision today in Brussels: Croatia becomes a full member of Schengen from January 1, 2023.

Foreign correspondent from Brussels, Jack Parrock, reported that EU interior ministers cannot yet agree on Croatia's entry into Schengen. Separate negotiations are now underway, he stated. Recall, Austria wants to veto Romania and Bulgaria, while it does not oppose Croatia's entry into the common European area.

He added that his sources say Germany and Luxembourg are now threatening to block Croatia if Austria does not remove its veto on Bulgaria and Romania.

Earlier: 

Although there have been some questions recently, and the Financial Times reported, the presidency and the European Commission are confident that Croatia will get the green light to enter the Schengen area, and they hope this will also be possible for Bulgaria and Romania, despite Austria's threat of a veto.

“I am confident that we will have Croatia inside, and I hope it will be possible regarding Bulgaria and Romania as well,” said Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakušan before the start of the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, which will decide on Thursday on the expansion of Schengen to three countries.

Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas shares the same opinion. “I am confident that Croatia will get the green light, and I hope Bulgaria and Romania will too,” Schinas said.

Schinas said that all three countries are technically ready for Schengen, that they have done more than was required of them. He said that “some small hesitations” that exist are political in nature and rest on the wrong assumption that expanding Schengen will mean less control at external borders.

“We will be stronger, not weaker, by expanding Schengen, and that means greater and better control, not less,” Schinas said.

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner reiterated that he will veto the entry of Bulgaria and Romania, but will support Croatia.

He emphasized that it is unacceptable that over 100,000 unregistered migrants entered Austria via the Western Balkan route this year, even though his country is in the middle of Europe and has no external border.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who supports all three countries, said they do not understand the Austrian position.

“I cannot understand the Austrian stance on this. I know that there are big debates in Austria on this issue,” Faeser said, adding that Germany supports all three countries.

All three countries have full support from France as well.

“France believes that all three countries deserve entry,” said Minister Gerald Darmanin.