The EPP says it wants Croatia to become the 20th country to join the euro.
“Croatia fulfils all the legal and technical criteria for joining the single currency and the EPP Group fully backs its adhesion”, said Siegfried Mureşan MEP, negotiator of the Report taking stock of the progress made by Croatia on the road to the Eurozone that will be adopted this week in the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.
“The government of Andrej Plenković has shown its commitment to responsible fiscal policies. The Croatian debt-to-GDP ratio is significantly lower than in many Eurozone countries, Croatia has comparatively low inflation and low interest rates, a stable currency regime and has strengthened the independence of its central bank”, explained Markus Ferber MEP, EPP Group Spokesman on Economic Affairs.
Moreover, “I note that the majority of accessions to the single currency were made under an EPP government. This is not a coincidence: we are a vector of stability and good economic management”, he added.
“The reforms which the Croatian Government have undertaken in the last years have strengthened the economy and paved the way for joining the common currency. It is clear that becoming a member of the Euro is a good signal for the country, its businesses and citizens, as well as for individual sectors of its economy, such as tourism. There is also awareness that work to keep the economy strong and competitive needs to continue after the accession”, said Mureşan.
“Croatia becoming the 20th member of the Eurozone on 1 January 2023 will be an asset for the Eurozone, proving the viability of and trust in our common currency. Now, the aim is to give the country the green light as soon as possible”, concluded Mureşan and Ferber.