Schengen Area

Prime Minister Milanovic on Thursday said that Croatia would apply join the Schengen zone on July 1, 2015, two years after joining the European club.

"One year ago, I said that one of our cabinet's major goals would be to make Croatia fit to formally apply for membership of the Schengen zone in the shortest possible time after joining the EU, that is, two years," Milanovic said.

Moldova on Monday became the first country east of the EU whose citizens have the right to visa-free travel to the 26 European countries that comprise the Schengen area.

Moldova won the approval of the EU for the change after undertaking a series of reforms, including providing secure travel documents and improving border and migration management.

Moldova's citizens will soon be able to travel to the EU's border-free Schengen area without a visa, under a draft law approved by Parliament on Thursday.

Militant Islamists living in the European Union have tried to cross Greece’s borders on their way to back the armed struggle against the Assad regime in Syria, Greek security officials have told Sunday’s Kathimerini.

Moldova's pro-European course 'can only lead to a better life'

Moldova's effort to maintain a pro-European course is a positive example for Ukraine and other countries in the region that aspire to EU membership, experts and officials say.

Moldovan citizens will soon be able to travel to the EU's border-free Schengen area without a visa. [AFP]

Fajon told Kosovo that it needs to work harder on stemming the flow of people from the country seeking asylum in the EU.

“Everything has been done to make that people do not abuse [asylum procedures] or try to go out of the country asking for asylum”, the MEP said in Pristina on Thursday. “It is necessary to fight this,” she added.