The Eurozone will not only benefit from Croatia’s accession to the euro area, but also the Eurozone itself, which will soon count 20 member countries, said Finance Minister Zdravko Marić on Friday in Luxembourg.
Minister Marić is participating in a meeting of finance ministers from EU member states, which will formally confirm the Eurogroup’s recommendation that Croatia is ready for membership in the euro area.
– We can be satisfied with this recommendation, which Ecofin is expected to formally confirm today – said Marić.
The finance ministers will also confirm a letter from the President of the Ecofin Council to the European Council, i.e., to the heads of state or government of the member states, who will discuss it at the summit on June 23 and 24. The draft letter emphasizes the importance of Croatia continuing to fulfill the obligations it undertook two years ago upon entering the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) even after joining the euro area. It also calls on Croatia to implement further structural reforms and investments outlined in the national recovery and resilience plan and to maintain a healthy fiscal policy.
– Reforms certainly must continue, which is important for both the economy and our society. We believe that not only Croatia will benefit from membership, but also the Eurozone itself, as its expansion strengthens its international role, and deeper integration is generally beneficial for the Monetary and European Union – said Marić.
Marić also commented on the announced increase in fuel prices. He stated that the government has so far reacted twice by reducing excise duties and that the remaining room for further reductions is quite limited by European directives. For diesel, there is a remaining 20 lipa per liter, and for gasoline, 36, 37 lipa.
