Western Balkans carriers suspend planned border closures
Transport operators paused planned protests after assurances that states will seek solutions for professional drivers’ stays in the Schengen area.
Scheduled closures of border crossings between the Western Balkans and the European Union did not take place today. Transport companies from North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro temporarily suspended the planned protest after receiving assurances that a solution for professional drivers’ residence in the Schengen area will be sought.
The decision to stand down followed talks held via the EU Mission in Belgrade, during which representatives of several Schengen member states pledged to accelerate negotiations on the issue.
Reason for the dispute
Carriers warned that limiting drivers’ time in Schengen countries directly disrupts daily operations and the uninterrupted flow of goods between the Western Balkans and EU markets. They said any interruption to transport chains would create immediate supply problems.
Carriers' Association: "In this way we showed good will and understanding for the problems that would arise from interrupting the supply chain of goods between the Western Balkans and the EU and expressed trust in the promise that the process to find an appropriate solution for professional drivers and their stay in the Schengen Area longer than 90/180 days will be expedited until the new visa strategy is adopted."
The drivers expect the announced talks to produce concrete measures that can be applied to their situation. If negotiations do not yield a usable outcome, transporters warned they could reconsider protest options and potentially resume plans to block crossings.
At the centre of the dispute is the well-known rule that citizens of countries outside the EU may stay within the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180‑day period. For tourists this is straightforward, but for truck drivers — whose workplace is the road across Europe — each day spent in any Schengen state counts against that same quota.
Possible solutions discussed include long-term visas, special permits or extended short‑term stays for designated categories of workers; carriers said they will monitor whether promises are followed by concrete measures.
Photo: press material from the event
