Balkan Truckers Threaten to Block EU Border Crossings
Axios (Tổng hợp từ Al Jazeera English)
Hundreds of truckers from Western Balkan nations protested on August 31 against EU rules limiting their stay in the Schengen zone to 90 days, threatening to block border crossings with the EU on September 14 if demands for an exemption are not met. The drivers argue the restrictions cut their working time nearly in half, making it impossible to support their families.
Hundreds of truckers from four Western Balkan countries gathered for a protest on August 31 against European Union (EU) entry and exit control regulations, warning they will block border crossings in the region next month if their demands are not addressed.
The drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia are calling on the EU to exempt them from the rule limiting stays in the Schengen area to 90 days within any 180-day period. They have threatened to block border crossings with the EU on September 14 if Brussels does not meet this demand.
Tensions have escalated since the EU introduced the Entry/Exit System (EES) in April, which electronically records entry and exit times for non-EU citizens. This makes it easier for authorities to track how long drivers stay within the Schengen area, which includes 25 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
The European Commission said earlier this year it had been in contact with Western Balkan partners to find a solution. One option under discussion is establishing bilateral agreements between individual Western Balkan countries and EU member states. North Macedonia, for instance, has already reached bilateral deals with Croatia, Switzerland, and Romania, with more potentially to follow.
However, the drivers argue that Brussels has not offered a viable proposal and are demanding a solution that covers the entire Schengen zone.
Wider impact
The EU is the Western Balkans' largest trading partner, accounting for over 60% of the region's total trade last year, according to the Council of Europe.
Serbia, the region's largest economy, reported foreign trade exceeding €39 billion in the first half of this year, with 58% of that involving EU nations. Bosnia and Herzegovina also relies heavily on EU trade, recording €5.6 billion in the first quarter.
A border blockade could therefore affect far more than the transport sector, delaying imports and exports of goods such as food, fuel, medicine, industrial components, and consumer products, leaving trucks stuck at crossings and driving up costs for both businesses and consumers.
In January, drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia also staged coordinated blockades at customs points leading into the Schengen area, demonstrating their ability to disrupt trade.
'We cannot feed our families'
For drivers who regularly cross borders for work, the 90-day limit within every 180-day period is a major challenge.
Adis Casevic, an international transport driver, said he regularly hauls goods from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Germany, France, the Netherlands, and other EU countries. He said current rules have significantly cut drivers' working hours.
"Being allowed to stay 90 days in six months means losing nearly half of our working time. We cannot feed our families that way," Casevic said.
Nikola Brkovic, a representative of the advocacy group Logistika BiH, said the rule affects about 5,000 drivers in Bosnia and Herzegovina alone. The number across the Western Balkans is considerably higher.
The Montenegro Transport Companies Association reported cases of professional drivers from the country being turned back at EU borders after exceeding the 90-day limit, according to regional news site Antena M.
Demand for tailored solution
The drivers are urging the European Commission and EU member states to create a special mechanism for professional drivers. Their argument is straightforward: they are not entering the EU as tourists or migrants, but working to transport goods between European markets and Western Balkan countries.
Zijad Saric, president of Logistika BiH, said Western Balkan drivers hold international transport permits and work for legally registered companies. "We ask the EU to extend the allowed stay for drivers in the Schengen area," Saric said.
The issue has united drivers across the region. After repeatedly showing their determination to oppose the limits imposed by Brussels, they warn they will block borders again on September 14 if no agreement is reached with the European Commission.
