Western Balkans truck drivers threaten EU border blockade

What the report says

Truck drivers from several Western Balkan countries are threatening to block border crossings with the European Union on September 14 unless Brussels changes Schengen rules that limit non-EU visitors to 90 days in the zone within any 180-day period. Al Jazeera reported that protests were held on Monday in locations across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, with hundreds of drivers calling for an exemption for professional transport workers.

The drivers say the current rules, reinforced by the EU’s Entry/Exit System, make it difficult for them to keep working because many spend long stretches moving goods between the Western Balkans and EU markets. They argue they are not traveling as tourists and that the time limits effectively reduce their available working hours. Transport representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina said thousands of drivers there are affected, while regional groups say the problem is wider.

The European Commission has said it is in contact with Western Balkan partners, and one possible approach under discussion is bilateral arrangements with individual EU states. However, the truckers want a solution that applies across the Schengen area. The issue matters because the EU is the Western Balkans’ biggest trading partner, and a blockade could disrupt deliveries of food, fuel, medicines and other goods, with wider effects on businesses and consumers.