EU Agrees on Croatia's Inclusion in the Schengen Area

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Croatia has become the 27th member country to join the Schengen Agreement, which guarantees free movement within the European Union (EU).

According to major foreign media on the 9th (local time), EU interior ministers agreed to incorporate Croatia into the Schengen Area at a ministerial meeting held in Brussels, Belgium. However, the exact timing of Croatia's inclusion in the Schengen Area was not specified.

Wilba Johansson, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, stated after the ministerial meeting, "Croatia has met the requirements for joining the Schengen Agreement."

Croatia, which joined the EU most recently in 2013, has been seeking to join the Schengen Agreement. The European Commission had already recommended Croatia's inclusion in the Schengen Area in October 2019, but faced difficulties due to opposition from Slovenia, an EU member state.

The Schengen Agreement currently includes 26 countries: 22 of the 27 EU member states, along with four non-member countries?Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

Within the Schengen Area, travelers are exempt from immigration procedures such as passport checks when crossing borders within the EU, allowing unrestricted movement.

The Schengen Agreement, which stipulates free movement as one of the most prominent benefits of EU integration, faced a crisis during the refugee situation and was effectively suspended temporarily last year when member states unilaterally imposed border controls at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.