Croatia Expected to Join EU in July 2013

Croatia Expected to Join EU in July 2013

If all goes as planned, Croatia is expected to become a full member of the European Union on the 1st of July 2013.  This will lead to increased freedom for Croatians to travel, study, and work abroad and for goods to move freely across borders.  However, not all Croatians are convinced that joining the EU is a good thing for Croatia.

A new study done by the Eurobarometer organization showed that 32% of Croatians think joining the EU will be a negative step for the country.  Only 31% are looking forward to the entry, and the remaining 37% are indifferent to it.  Only 21% of Croatians polled expect that their lives will be better during the next 12 months, while 27% expect that they will be worse, and 49% don’t expect them to change.Only time will tell if EU membership is a good thing for Croatia.

Visitors to Croatia will not likely see any immediate changes and the local currency will remain the Kuna.  While the EU has some control over many laws at a state level, many bureaucratic rules and requirements are set at a local level and will likely be slow to liberalize.