Truck and lorry drivers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia protested the limited stay period imposed by the European Union in the Schengen Area.
Simultaneous protests in Balkan cities
Hundreds of drivers gathered in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, outside the European Union Delegation building. The drivers argued that the rule allowing a stay of no more than 90 days within any 180-day period in the Schengen Area was disrupting their professional activities.
Zijad Saric, one of the organizers of the protest, said they hoped the European Union would take a positive step regarding implementation of the “90 days within 180 days” rule. Saric said the drivers wanted to work and did not intend to remain permanently in European Union countries or pose a security threat.
Drivers from Serbia also gathered outside the European Union Delegation building in the capital, Belgrade. They called on the European Commission to find a solution to the problems caused by professional drivers being allowed to stay in the Schengen Area for only a limited period.
Montenegrin drivers held a protest outside the European Union Delegation building in the capital, Podgorica, demanding that the decision be changed. In North Macedonia, truck and lorry drivers held a warning protest outside the European Union Delegation building in Skopje.
Call for a solution in North Macedonia
Biljana Muratovska, secretary-general of the North Macedonian Transport Operators Association Makam-Trans, said the European Union had acknowledged at the beginning of the year that professional drivers were engaged in professional activities, but had taken no steps on the stay-period issue for seven months.
North Macedonia’s Ministry of Transport also announced that it understood the difficulties faced by transport companies in the country. The ministry said continuous and active work was being carried out to take concrete steps toward resolving the issue with Schengen Area countries.
Drivers dissatisfied with the electronic system
Drivers from Balkan countries that are not members of the European Union also said they were dissatisfied with the Electronic Entry/Exit System. Under the system, which came into effect in October 2025, drivers from non-EU countries can stay in the Schengen Area for no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.
The drivers said this period was not long enough to complete their transport operations. They also argued that if professional drivers migrated to European Union countries, domestic transport companies could face the risk of being unable to continue their operations.
