A big shakeup happened recently in Europe, and it may have gone over most people’s heads. In December, members of the European Union voted on the admission of three new nations to join the Schengen travel zone, and adopt the Euro. These nations were Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania.
The Schengen Zone is a travel agreement between E.U. member states that establish a borderless union between the nations in the Schengen zones. To put it simply, traveling between Schengen countries is as simple as traveling between two U.S. states; no border checks, passports, or airport immigration necessary. The current Schengen Zone encompasses 26 countries, of which 22 are EU member states, and over 420 million people. The nations participating in the Zone outside of the EU are Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
As a result of the vote, Croatia was successful in joining the Schengen Zone. Now, the country is currently transitioning from the Kuna to the Euro. Kuna will be accepted in stores until January 14th, where then the only legal tender in Croatia will be the Euro.
Croatia was accepted into the Schengen Zone with a unanimous 26 votes from EU member states, while Bulgaria and Romania failed to join the travel network. The country responsible for blocking the admission of the two nations was Austria. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer wanted more time to evaluate the two nations and determine whether or not the border security of the two nations is up to the task of responding to the growing immigration crisis in Europe. Austria also believes that the current Schengen Zone is flawed, and thinks that adding two more countries at the border of the EU would further exacerbate immigration issues.
The Netherlands also opposed Bulgaria’s bid, but supported Romania. According to Euronews, the Netherlands cited “unaddressed rule of law concerns” and “pending pieces of legislation to tackle corruption and organized crime” (Hughes & Elton, 2022). If Bulgaria can address Dutch concerns, they would almost certainly gain its vote.
It has taken Bulgaria and Romania almost a decade to gain admission, and it may take the nations yet another decade to address the concerns of Austria. Bulgaria and Romania are joined by Cyprus as the only EU nations outside of the Schengen Zone; however, due to the Treaties of Accession, are guaranteed to join the zone eventually.
For Croatia, this new transition is extremely positive. Now, EU citizens have unfettered access to the beautiful country, which hosted 15 million tourists in 2022. Additionally, the Croatian Kuna was valued at 0.13 Euros; now, Croatians will have access to higher purchasing power and stronger currencies to improve their nation. This will bring more financial security and higher standards of living for the average Croatian.
Citation: https://www.euronews.com/travel/2022/12/08/passports-currency-and-borders-what-changes-when-croatia-joins-the-schengen-zone-in-2023