Serbian transporters have expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the ministerial meeting between Western Balkan countries and the European Commission, despite welcoming the first steps taken by the EU to address the limited stay of their drivers in the Schengen zone, representatives of Serbia’s transport industry told PlutonLogistics.
Ministers from the Western Balkans met on Tuesday, February 3, with representatives of the European Commission. The scheduling of this meeting, as well as the release of the EU Visa Strategy, were the reasons transporters halted protests and ended border blockades on Friday.
“We are not satisfied because we expected a quick, short-term solution to this problem. It is now extremely important that arrests of our drivers in the Schengen area stop until the promised visa solution is implemented,” said Borislav Popović, owner of Popović Transport and a representative of the International Transport Business Association.
“We are at our limit and beginning to drown. Arrests have even increased after our protests. For example, one of my drivers was stopped just yesterday at the Austrian border and his days were counted. By chance, he didn’t work full time in January, but if he had, he would have exceeded the limit and been deported. Alongside him were two Bosnian trucks and one Macedonian. They are only targeting us,” he added.
Popović emphasized that transporters welcome the EU’s decision to prioritize this issue, but the urgent problem must be resolved quickly.
“The administration in Brussels is clearly slower than we expect, and they see progress in this situation. On February 3, the Commission asked countries to present their perspective on the problem. The only concrete result was a new announcement for a meeting of the newly formed Working Group next week. This group will include state representatives, one transporter representative, embassy officials in Brussels, and the Transport Community,” Popović said.
“We cannot say they are doing nothing, but for us, not a day, but every hour matters. They have their procedures, administration, and timelines, which we will know after the first Working Group meeting. We will try to be patient, but at that meeting, it will be made clear: if arrests and deportations of drivers do not stop immediately, we will be forced to return to the borders. Only next time, we will go all the way. We don’t want that, and we hope for understanding.”
Transporters had shown patience for the economy, the region, and the state when ending their protests, but if the situation worsens, they will prioritize their own interests.
“We support the EU’s efforts to control their borders, and we welcome that. But our trucks are not driven by illegal migrants — only by drivers who comply with all regulations and have all proper documentation for vehicles and goods,” Popović stressed.
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Halted Goods Flows: How Much Damage?
The transport industry protest over the 90/180 rule for professional drivers from third countries in the Schengen zone, and additional problems caused by the new Entry-Exit system (full implementation expected in April), began on January 26. Transporters from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Montenegro blocked freight terminals, halting the transport of goods both for import and export. Only certain categories, like medicine and live animals, were exempt. Daily losses from halted exports alone were estimated at nearly €100 million.
Montenegrin and North Macedonian transporters ended their protests on January 29. Serbian and Bosnian transporters lifted the blockade the following day after the EU presented the visa strategy and scheduled a meeting with regional countries and EU representatives for February 3.
Europe Provides No Concrete Proposal
Serbia’s Minister for EU Integration, Nemanja Starović, proposed at the February 3 meeting with the European Commission a temporary directive for Schengen control authorities. EC representatives requested a written proposal immediately after the meeting.
Neđo Mandić, president of the International Transport Association, told RTS they were disappointed that the European Commission did not present concrete proposals.
“The only proposal came from Minister Nemanja Starović, who was asked to submit it in writing. We know we can provide the best solution, so we shared proposals with Balkan colleagues to align them,” Mandić said.
According to him, the Working Group meeting will present joint proposals, including the creation of a transporter registry, clarifying the status of cross-border workers, verifying that status, and, most importantly, stopping driver arrests and deportations.
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Source: Kurir; Foto: Edvard Molnar / MTI via AP