The "International Transport" business association from Belgrade announced that on January 26, together with colleagues from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, they will block traffic across border crossings with neighboring Schengen countries, due to problems caused by the new EES system for entering and exiting countries in Europe.
The transporters' protest, as they stated, will be held due to the inadequate reaction of the European Commission and the Schengen countries regarding the treatment of Serbian professional drivers and the restriction of their stay on the territory of those countries during daily work activities.
Representatives of the Business Association "International Transport" Belgrade, the Consortium "Logistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina" and the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Montenegro will hold a press conference in Belgrade on January 16th, where they will present more details.
The conference will, as they stated, present the decision to begin holding protests by transporters at border crossings with surrounding Schengen countries on January 26, 2026, the aim of which is to point out the long-term consequences that the economies of those countries and the population will begin to suffer from as of April 10, when Serbian/Bosnian/Montenegrin drivers are expected to be banned from entering Schengen countries due to exceeding the number of days allowed.
"We would like to point out that the protest has no political connotation, but is solely aimed at raising awareness among those in charge of the European Commission and the European administration in general, Schengen countries, and transport customers, that professional drivers are not illegal migrants, terrorists, or illegal workers, and that their arrest, deportation, and work restrictions are a direct blow to the transport industry, as well as the economy as a whole that relies on domestic transport capacities," the announcement reads.
This, in their opinion, violates the principles of the right to work and a normal life for transporters and drivers.
"If there is no change in the attitude towards professional drivers and transport companies, the supply chains from and to our country with road freight vehicles are expected to break in mid-April because our transporters will no longer have drivers available," the announcement added.
The aim of the conference, as they stated, is to inform the public about further steps in the transport industry, to initiate a dialogue with the competent European institutions, and to encourage a clear approach to solving the problem that ensures the safety of transport operators' operations and the safety of drivers' work while they are transporting goods across Schengen countries, without fear of being arrested, deported, or being denied entry to the Schengen territory because they were just doing their regular job.
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