Professional truck drivers from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia could face serious operational problems within weeks if the European Commission fails to find a solution to restrictions on their stay in the Schengen Area, according to Danas.

Transport associations from the four countries have submitted a joint request to Brussels and set a deadline of August 10 to offer either a permanent or at least a temporary solution to the rule that currently allows professional drivers to stay in the Schengen Area for no more than 90 days within a six-month period.

The transport associations warn that there is no longer any room for delay and that international road freight transport could be jeopardized without an urgent response.

Neđo Mandić, president of the Serbian International Transport Business Association, said that the European Commission had responded to the joint letter, but that no concrete solution had yet been found.

According to him, a Type D visa for professional drivers had previously been mentioned as a possible solution, but the European Commission is no longer providing clear assurances that this would permanently resolve the issue.

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Why is this issue important?

Unlike tourists, professional drivers spend much of the year traveling on roads across the European Union as part of their work. However, under current regulations, their time spent in the Schengen Area is calculated in almost the same way as for other non-EU nationals, meaning many risk reaching the permitted 90-day limit.

Transport associations argue that drivers should be granted a special status because they are not traveling for leisure but serve as a vital link in supply chains between the European Union and the Western Balkans.

The economy and consumers could also feel the consequences

Representatives of the transport sector warn that, if the issue remains unresolved, some professional drivers could temporarily lose the ability to work on international routes, further increasing pressure on an industry that has already been struggling with a labor shortage for years.

This could mean fewer trucks available, more expensive transportation, and additional costs for companies importing and exporting goods through the European Union. In the long term, such costs are often passed on to consumers through higher product prices.

Type D visa or August 10 as D-Day?

Transport associations have stated that if no acceptable response comes from Brussels by August 10, they will reconsider their next steps and possible measures to protect the interests of transport companies and professional drivers.

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Source: Telegraf; Foto: Edvard Molnar / MTI via AP