Western Balkan carriers meet in Skopje to coordinate response to Schengen stay rules

Transport companies from across the Western Balkans are meeting in Skopje today to coordinate a regional response to difficulties faced by professional drivers when travelling in the Schengen area.

The meeting follows changes introduced by the European Union to rules governing short-term stays in the Schengen zone. Carriers say the new restrictions have hit professional drivers hardest and earlier triggered protests; their main demand is an exemption from the rule that limits stays to 90 days within any 180-day period.

Representatives attending the session include delegations from Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is the first time the regional associations have convened in Skopje to discuss the issue together.

Agenda and next steps

Organisers said the gathering is meant to identify concrete activities and a shared agenda for the coming period, including coordinated lobbying efforts and cross-border measures to mitigate the impact of the regulation on freight operations.

"The problem is still not solved. The meeting is being held to set the agenda for our future activities," Biljana Muratovska of the Association of Carriers - MAKAMTRANS said yesterday.

Participants emphasised that while the regulatory change originates at EU level, its practical consequences for Western Balkan road transport require a joint regional response and dialogue with European interlocutors until a durable solution is found.

Photo: press material from the event