By UNANIMOUS decision at the meeting of the interior ministers of the member states in Brussels, Croatia becomes the 27th member of the Schengen area and in less than a month, border controls will be abolished at land and sea border crossings, and in the spring at airports.

The ministers of interior affairs of the 22 EU member states that are also Schengen members made a final decision today on the full application of the Schengen acquis in Croatia, which means the abolition of border controls towards the Schengen area.

At the same time, Bulgaria and Romania did not get the green light at the same meeting. Austria was against the admission of both countries, and the Dutch against Bulgaria.