It should start on January 1, 2023. Then Croatia wants to replace its current national currency with the euro.

According to a final evaluation by the EU Commission, Croatia fulfills the requirements for the introduction of the common currency, the euro. As the Brussels authority announced on Wednesday, the outstanding EU decisions on the changeover could be made.

Croatia plans to replace its national currency, kuna, with the euro from January 1 next year. Croatia has been trying for years to meet the criteria for admission to the Euro Club. On January 1, 2015, Lithuania was the last country to be accepted as the 19th member of the group of countries with the common currency.

According to the EU treaties, all member states except Denmark are obliged to join the common currency as soon as they meet the requirements. However, several countries are not pursuing this with vigour, including Sweden and Hungary.

Important for tourism

In Croatia, tourism in particular is looking forward to the introduction of the euro with great expectations. The country with the long Adriatic coast, the many picturesque bays and islands, lives heavily on tourism. At the same time, many people fear that the cost of living could rise sharply as a result of the conversion to the European common currency.

The Council of the 27 EU member states is to take the formal decision on the introduction of the euro in Croatia in the first half of July. According to the clear assessment of the EU Commission, however, no difficulties are expected.