The Association of International Freight Forwarders of Montenegro will organize blockades of main roads near nine road border crossings, as well as the approaches to the Port of Bar from 12 noon on January 26. As announced, the protest will last until the demands are met.
The blockades are being organized as part of a regional protest by freight carriers from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, due to the limitation of the duration of stay - work of professional drivers in the Schengen countries to a maximum of 90 days in a period of six months, but also because the Ministry of Finance yesterday did not accept their requests to increase the amount of excise tax refunds on fuel that their colleagues in the region have, to speed up the refund of VAT to 30 to 60 days because they have now been waiting for years, as well as to extend the work of customs and phytosanitary inspections so that they are adapted to the needs of carriers as taxpayers.
The protest was reported to the Police Department, from which "Vijesti" expects answers regarding this protest. Montenegrin transporters held a warning protest by driving through Podgorica at the end of December.
The transporters also informed the Chamber of Commerce about the protest yesterday. Several committees of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Montenegro told "Vijesti" yesterday that these blockades and the interruption of freight transport will cause problems in supplying the economy, as well as retail chains, because Montenegro is extremely import-dependent when it comes to supplying food, consumer goods, and raw materials for domestic production.
They are afraid of losing their job.
As reported to "Vijesti", the Association said, 137 companies registered for freight transport will participate in the protest, with several hundred drivers divided into several groups.
Similar protests were announced yesterday by transporters from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, and they will mostly block roads to neighboring EU members.
The ETIAS Regulation, which will come into effect on April 10, allows carriers from the region to stay and work in the Schengen countries for a maximum of 90 days in a 180-day period, and if they have stayed longer than 90 days in all their trips, they will be banned from entering. Carriers believe that this will make it impossible for them to work, that is, they will not be able to compete with carriers from EU member states and that they will lose their jobs and income for their families.
Organized blockade groups
According to information from "Vijesti", transporters will block the main roads in the immediate vicinity of border crossings by placing four tractors (two in each direction) at each of these locations, on which will be placed a banner of the association with a message about the demands.
Thus, according to the prepared plan, transporters from Nikšić will take up positions at the Vraćenovići and Ilino brdo border crossings towards BiH, while their colleagues from Bijelo Polje will "occupy" the Dobrakovo border crossing.
Transporters from Podgorica, Zeta and Danilovgrad are responsible for the Božaj border crossing towards Albania, and from Pljevlja for the Ranče border crossing towards Serbia and Metaljka border crossing towards Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Transporters from Bar will block the access to Luca Bar, and from Cetinje and others from the coast will position themselves near the Debeli Brijeg border crossing towards Croatia. Their colleagues from Rožaje will block the access to the Dračenovac border crossing towards Serbia and Kula towards Kosovo. The Berane people will be in reserve and will provide assistance at Dobrakovo, Dračenovac and Kula if needed.
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The Transporters' Board has formed team coordinators for crossings and regions, as well as organizing shifts so that driver and truck lineups can be changed in cases of fatigue and exhaustion.
The new regulation is valid from April 10th.
Representatives of the associations of international road freight transporters from Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina held a joint press conference in Belgrade, where they announced joint border blockades due to the limitation of the duration of stay of professional drivers from the region in Schengen countries to a maximum of 90 days in a six-month period.
The aim of the protest, as they said at a press conference and as reported by the Beta agency, is to point out the long-term consequences that the economy will begin to suffer not only in countries not covered by the agreement, but also in EU countries that are signatories to the agreement when the new entry/exit rule (EES) 90/180, which was introduced in early October 2025, begins to be strictly applied from April 10 of this year.
Nedjo Mandic from the Serbian Transport Association said that "the consequences of this norm have not yet escalated, but they will be catastrophic for the economy and the population, when the trial period expires on April 10th and consistent implementation begins."
"We have been warning for years about the consequences of the Schengen area approaching our borders. When the implementation of the EES norm began, more frequent controls began, but those we warned about the consequences did not lift a finger, they responded to our letters that they had no problem with transportation," said Mandić.
He added that most large companies have parent companies in the EU and that transport associations are confident that they have the ability to protect their interests with the European Commission (EC).
Schengen has become self-contradictory
He recalled that the Schengen Agreement on the free movement of goods and capital was signed in 1985 and that the number of countries increased from five to 29 and "the agreement reached the borders of the countries in the Balkans."
"The idea that the Schengen Agreement would facilitate the movement of goods and capital has become self-contradictory and now makes the work of transport companies more difficult because it equates professional drivers with all other passengers and the length of their stay in those countries," said Mandić.
He pointed out that "the time has come to amend the Schengen Agreement" and "transport companies propose that the EC and experts find a solution by the end of March this year, and that until then professional drivers be treated as cross-border workers who are not subject to registration and EES norms."
They could work only 10 days a month, the Government of Montenegro does not see a problem
Mandić stated that according to the new rule, professional drivers from the region can effectively use ten days per month out of the 90 days allowed for stay in Schengen countries, because every exit, even one minute after 12 noon, is treated as a full day.
In addition, as he said, drivers must respect the duration of their rest periods while driving, and they also lose time waiting at borders, so they can effectively only work about ten days in a month.
Representative of the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Montenegro Djordje Lješnjak He then said that the association had joined the protest of transporters from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina because they had contacted their government, which had replied that this problem did not exist for Montenegro, as the country was approaching EU accession.
"Until we join the EU, there will be no international transport in Montenegro. The government is trying to reduce this problem by signing bilateral agreements, such as with Germany, which has recognized our driving licenses, and thereby enable our drivers to move to Germany and for workers from the Middle East to be imported to Montenegro," said Lješnjak.
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