Croatia to join EU’s visa-free travel zone by year-end

The European Parliament voted Thursday to support Croatia’s entry into the European Union’s visa-free travel regime in January, a move that will boost the Adriatic nation’s tourism-dependent economy and ease passage for more than 10 million Europeans who vacation in Croatia each summer.

Report informs via Bloomberg that the parliamentary vote followed a debate in which lawmakers assessed the readiness of the nation of 3.9 million to defend its borders and control immigration. The final decision still rests with the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, which is expected to weigh in on the matter on December 9.

Croatia would be a first addition to the so-called Schengen area after Liechtenstein joined more than a decade ago.