In the Croatian Parliament today, amendments to the Law on Foreigners were adopted, opening up the possibility of introducing special visas for professional drivers from the countries of the region, which, as announced by the Ministry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, should solve the problem of limited stays in the Schengen zone for drivers working in international transport.
The Minister of Communications and Transport of BiH, Edin Forto, stated that this is important news for thousands of professional drivers from the region and non-EU member states, who, due to the nature of their work, cross borders daily and spend longer than 90 days in a 180-day period in the EU, even though they are not settled and do not work there. Due to the introduction of these regulations and the new EES border control system of the European Union, drivers from Serbia and BiH faced the most problems.
“Our drivers do not travel for tourism, but are doing their job, without which there is no functioning of supply chains and transport of goods across Europe. That is why it was important to find a solution that understands the specificity of their work and allows them to work without the constant fear of the expiration of the allowed days of stay,” said the minister from BiH, Edin Forto.
He added that he hopes the law will be implemented in the coming weeks, rather than months, emphasizing that drivers from BiH and the region “have been waiting for a solution for too long.”
The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Marko Čadež, stated after the border blockade organized by carriers from the region this winter, that at a meeting in Brussels, the Government of Croatia came forward with a proposal that transport companies from Serbia that have contracts with firms from Croatia or other EU countries receive long-term visas for drivers.
“The Croatian government came forward with a proposal and said, here, we will propose to all member states, and we will start first immediately, and Hungary has also announced this, that transport companies from Serbia that have contracts with firms from Croatia or other countries in the EU, have the right to get long-term visas for their drivers. Croatia proposed that solution in Brussels,” Čadež said at the panel “Forward Together: Regional Integration of the Western Balkans.”
For the issuance of these visas, it was necessary for Croatia to amend its Law on Foreigners.
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Source: N1, Photo: N1