The plenary of the European Parliament on Thursday called for Croatia’s entry into the Schengen border-free area, accepting the previous assessment of the European Commission and the EU-27 that the country meets all the requirements to join the area of free movement.
The MEPs thus respond – with the support of 534 votes in favor, 53 against and 25 abstentions – to the opinion requested last June by the Council as a prerequisite before being able to take a unanimous decision among the member countries.
However, in its report, the plenary asks the Croatian authorities to inform both the European Parliament and the Council on the precise way in which it manages the external border, in particular the independent mechanism for monitoring the actions of police officers in the field of human rights.
MEPs are thus interested in recent reports of possible hot refoulements at the Croatian border, a practice that violates international asylum rules.
Croatia has been applying the provisions of the Schengen acquis since its accession to the EU, with the exception of those on the abolition of internal border controls, the withdrawal of which depended on the Council’s subsequent assessment of its compliance with the conditions.
Once MEPs vote in favor, the EU-27 will have to formally decide again on the full application of the Schengen acquis in Croatia and decide on the date from which border controls at its border with the other EU partners can be lifted.
