So far, tourists on the way to Croatia have often been stuck in traffic for hours. That is likely to change in 2023. Two other countries, on the other hand, had to accept bitter disappointment in Brussels.
The way for Croatia’s accession to the Schengen area without border controls is clear. The responsible ministers agreed on this on Thursday at a meeting in Brussels. However, the necessary unanimity was not reached for the admission of Bulgaria and Romania. Germany had campaigned to include all three countries.
The joy in Croatia was great given the decision. “There are no longer any borders on our way to Europe,” tweeted Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said that both the citizens and the economy of Croatia would benefit from the elimination of border controls. According to him, 80 percent of goods and 75 percent of foreign visitors come to Croatia from Schengen countries.
The controls at the sea and land borders of the popular holiday destination to other Schengen countries should now be abolished at the beginning of next year. It should be ready at the airports on March 26th. This should make traveling to the Adriatic country much easier for tourists. So far, travelers from Germany have often been stuck in traffic for hours in summer to get into the country.
There was criticism from human rights organizations
Several human rights organizations accused the EU of disregarding its obligation to uphold fundamental rights with the decision. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and six other organizations pointed out in a joint statement that Croatia is regularly accused of violently turning away people seeking protection at its external borders.
With Thursday’s decision, the first Schengen expansion in more than ten years is imminent. In 2011, controls at the land borders with Liechtenstein were lifted. Croatia will also introduce the euro as a means of payment at the beginning of 2023.
For Romania and Bulgaria, on the other hand, the day was sobering. Austria in particular blocked their admission to the Schengen area. The Czech EU Council Presidency tried, after hours of debate, to reach a decision for all three countries – but was unsuccessful. EU Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson therefore spoke of a “day of disappointment”. Both countries deserved to belong to the Schengen area with its freedom of movement.
The EU states were divided on the matter – “and that makes us very weak,” said the Swede. Schengen expansion to include Bulgaria and Romania is a priority for her. She is convinced that this will be possible until the end of the current mandate of the EU Commission – i.e. until spring 2024.
Disappointment at Faeser and Baerbock
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) had also spoken out in favor of all three countries joining the Schengen area. Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria already apply some of the Schengen rules, but internal border controls with them have so far been maintained.
After the meeting in Brussels, Faeser said it was a weakness of the EU that the decision had been taken. “There were criteria they had to meet. All three met them equally.” Therefore, it would only have been logical to grant all three countries full Schengen accession.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spoke of a “serious disappointment” and criticized Vienna. During a visit to Dublin, the Green politician said about the outcome of the consultations in Brussels that she considered this “more than wrong in terms of European politics and geopolitics”.
World’s largest area of freedom to travel
The Schengen area currently includes 22 EU countries as well as Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Switzerland. There are usually no stationary border controls at the internal borders between these countries. This makes it the world’s largest area of freedom to travel. New members can only be admitted unanimously. Romania and Bulgaria have been waiting for the decision since 2011.
Austria’s Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner, justified his refusal by saying that, from Vienna’s point of view, too many migrants are currently coming into the country, although the countries on the EU’s external borders are actually responsible for them. According to him, there have already been more than “100,000 illegal border crossings” to Austria this year, of which 75,000 had not previously been registered.
In fact, unwanted migration to the EU has increased significantly in 2022. Between January and October, the border protection agency Frontex counted 281,000 irregular border crossings, an increase of 77 percent compared to the same period last year. At least with regard to Romania, the numbers of those who were registered there and who traveled to Austria without permission were very low. Interior Minister Faeser said that the Austrian reasoning is lagging.
The Netherlands also opposed the lifting of controls on Bulgaria, demanding further measures by Sofia to strengthen the rule of law and fight corruption.
Source: Stern
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