The transport ministers, who convened at the end of last week, also advised the Commission to launch negotiations on the matter with Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia-Montenegro and Kosovo, too.
The Commission wrote in its document called "A Community aviation policy towards neighbours", which it adopted in February, that Croatia had developed into a mature aviation market and that it was closest to JAA (Joint Aviation Authorities) full membership.
The European Common Aviation Area covers the current 25 EU member states and Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, with plans to admit Romania and Bulgaria as well as western Balkan countries in the future in order to create a coherent and flexible model of liberalisation of air traffic relations within Europe.