Some 75 Slovenian customs officers will lose their jobs, CURS director general Rajko Skubic told the press in Ljubljana.

According to him, the abolition of customs control does not mean that there will be no hold-ups at the border, because the Schengen border remains there until Croatia joins the Schengen zone.

Passengers entering Croatia from Slovenia will not need to declare cash, and there will be no control of transport of pets, plants, food and similar, Skubic said.

However, bans and restrictions regarding possession and transportation of drugs, firearms, ammunition, pyrotechnics and cultural heritage items remain in force, he added.

One of the changes is that as of 1 July, EU residents will not be eligible for VAT return for goods bought in Croatia.

Skubic stressed that the Customs Administration will not be left without work.

There are still many border crossings that will be controlled by customs officers - at airports, at sea and at the main postal office in Ljubljana.

Transport of goods charged with excise duties, including tobacco products, alcoholic beverages and fuel, will remain under strict control, and restrictions on large quantities of such goods remain in force.

Owners of mobile homes, vessels and vehicles in Croatia will have to regulate the status of their property, Skubic said, calling on the owners to turn to the Customs Administration for advice.

According to him, the transition will not be possible without lay-offs. Around 75 customs officers on fixed-term contracts will lose their jobs, and the Customs Administration is not able to re-hire them due to the staffing restrictions in the public sector.

Some 55 employees will be transferred to the Tax Administration, and another 50 are negotiating their transfers to other state bodies.

CURS currently has 1,650 employees, and the number will be cut to 1,455 after 1 July.