Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Butkovic said on Wednesday he believes that after today's discussion in the European Parliament, MEPs will confirm in a vote on Thursday that Croatia meets all the criteria for accession to the Schengen passport-free travel area.

“I believe that the report that is being discussed in the European Parliament today, and it is very good, it will pass. This is one further, key step before a final decision is made by the Council of Ministers in December,” Butkovic told the press after a meeting of the ruling coalition.

MEPs are expected to confirm by a vast majority on Thursday that Croatia meets the necessary requirements for Schengen membership. The final decision on Croatia’s application will be made by the Justice and Home Affairs Council at its meeting on 9 December.

A final decision on accession to the Schengen area is taken unanimously by the EU members of this area, which has 26 members and four of them are not EU members.

On 25 October, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) supported Croatia’s bid to join the Schengen area on 1 January 2023.

Butkovic noted that adoption of the euro as legal tender and accession to the Schengen area were Croatia’s two strategic goals. “These are two major goals by this government and I think we can all be proud.”