US EditionWestern Balkan truck drivers block border cargo terminals over EU entry rules
Truck drivers protest strict EU digital entry rules enforcing 90/180-day Schengen stay, risking regional supply chains and jobs, with over 100 deportations last year, unions say.
- Truck drivers across four Western Balkan countries began blocking border cargo terminals on Jan. 26, 2026, closing freight lanes at noon in major crossings such as Batrovci and Gevgelija.
- The Entry/Exit System's digital checks enforce the Schengen 90/180-day rule more strictly, with the Serbian Association of International Road Hauliers saying drivers face detention and deportation, citing Bosnia's Logistika on over 100 deportations last week.
- Road freight underpins over 83 billion euros in trade with the EU, supporting more than 4,000 businesses and around 2.4% of GDP in Serbia and Bosnia, with trucks blocking key crossings and the port of Bar.
- Authorities and EU officials responded with traffic guidance and said they were monitoring events as Serbia's Prime Minister Djuro Macut warned the blockade could paralyse transport, while regional unions said they would end it if the EU agreed to talks.
- Launched in October, the Entry/Exit System is scheduled for full operation on April 10, and the European Commission notes flexibility for cross-border workers and longer stays for some professionals.
42 Articles
42 Articles
Truck drivers from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia blocked freight terminals at border crossings to the Schengen area with trucks at noon. They are protesting against the new Entry/Exit Control System (EES) and demanding that they be allowed to stay in the EU longer.
The blockade concerns exclusively freight vehicles and applies to a total of nine border crossings: three to Greece (opposite Evzonoi, Doirani and Niki Florinas), three to Bulgaria, two to Albania and one to Kosovo.
The European Commission is closely monitoring the border blockade towards EU countries due to protests by professional drivers.
Associated Press News
plaindealerin.comBalkan truck drivers block cargo border crossing in protest of EU entry rules
Truck drivers from Balkan countries outside the EU have blocked cargo border crossings to protest the recent enforcement of EU entry regulations.
Western Balkan truck drivers block border cargo terminals over EU entry rules
Truck drivers across four Western Balkan countries began a blockade of border cargo terminals on Monday in protest over restrictive EU entry rules that have left drivers facing deportation for exceeding Schengen visit limits.
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