Balkan hauliers to block EU borders again as supply chain disruption looms

Only a few days remain before the planned protest. Statements from Western Balkan carrier associations and Austria’s WKO indicate that the industry has not abandoned the action.

WKO said on 8 September that, after a meeting on 1 September between Western Balkan carriers and a European Commission working group, organisations from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia had again decided to block EU border crossings. Actions are also expected on access roads to intermodal terminals.

This is not the first action of its kind. At the end of January, carriers from the region also halted traffic at crossings leading into the EU. The blockades ended on 30 January after the European Commission said it would establish a working group to develop a solution. More than seven months later, carriers say they still have no solution that would allow them to carry out international transport normally.

Drivers are working—but the Schengen clock keeps running

The dispute centres on the rule allowing citizens of non-EU countries to remain in the Schengen area for no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The issue predates the EU’s Entry/Exit System, but enforcement became far easier after the system was fully rolled out on 10 April 2026. EES electronically records entries and exits by third-country nationals, along with travel-document details and biometric data. It also automates the calculation of the time each person has spent in the Schengen area.

For tourists, 90 days within six months may provide plenty of flexibility. For a driver making regular journeys between the Balkans and Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary or other EU countries, the same rule can eventually prevent them from continuing to work.

The Serbian association Međunarodni transport says that dozens of Serbian drivers are turned back at Schengen borders every day. The organisation also reports detentions, deportations and bans on re-entry.

Carriers argue that professional drivers should not be treated in the same way as people visiting the EU for tourism. During demonstrations held on 31 August outside EU representations in four countries across the region, transport organisations submitted a joint letter. Their position is straightforward: drivers want to work on routes to and through the EU, not settle there.

Brussels recognises the issue, but the rules remain

The European Commission acknowledges that truck drivers are among the professional groups whose work may require them to spend more than 90 days in the Schengen area.

During a briefing on 1 September, a Commission representative said the same challenge affects other highly mobile professions. Possible tools mentioned included long-term visas, residence permits and solutions based on national rules or existing bilateral agreements.

That does not change the 90/180-day limit itself. This gap between acknowledging the problem and providing a usable solution is what has brought carriers back to the borders.

We are going ahead with the 14 September protest. We will block freight terminals and rail terminals used for trailers.

Neđo Mandić, president of the Serbian association Međunarodni transport, made the statement, as quoted by N1 and Danas.

According to Mandić, Brussels’ acknowledgement that the problem exists is no longer enough. The industry wants a mechanism that drivers can actually use.

Four countries are preparing one coordinated action

The potential disruption could be wider than the impact of a protest limited to one crossing or one country. Bosnian organisation Konzorcijum Logistika has confirmed that the protest is intended to be regional and coordinated. Carrier organisations from Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia are expected to join those from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Nikola Brković of Logistika told Bosnian media that representatives from all four countries had unanimously confirmed their decision to act together. He said that no separate, unilateral actions by individual countries were planned.

For international freight, the routes linking the Western Balkans with Croatia and Hungary will be particularly important. These crossings serve as gateways for freight heading towards Central and Western Europe. Initial announcements suggest that the protest will focus mainly on freight traffic and infrastructure used by trucks, rather than completely closing passenger traffic.

The risk goes beyond queues at the border

For European carriers and shippers, the main concern is not simply how long the blockade lasts, but the knock-on effects it could create. Even a relatively short action on major corridors could create truck backlogs on both sides of the border. When traffic resumes, those queues do not disappear immediately, so the effects may continue after the blockades formally end.

The greatest risks concern shipments scheduled within narrow delivery windows, industrial components, time-critical cargo and intermodal loads tied to specific train departures.

The issue also matters for trade within the region itself. The impact of the new rules on freight flows has already been raised in the European Parliament. One question submitted to the Commission in April noted that more than 60% of the region’s trade is with the European Union, meaning transport restrictions could affect both supply chains and economic cooperation with the EU.

North Macedonia explores a separate route

There is another important element to the situation. WKO says that in August, North Macedonia’s transport minister indicated that the country was seeking a separate solution through bilateral agreements with specific European countries.

According to the Austrian chamber, such agreements already existed with Switzerland, Croatia and Romania, while talks were reportedly under way with Austria, Germany and Hungary—key markets for North Macedonian carriers.

Despite that effort, the latest statements from transport organisations still list North Macedonia among the four countries taking part in the action planned for 14 September.

The potential impact extends beyond the Balkans

The dispute has highlighted a problem that EES has brought into sharper focus. The digital system did not create the 90/180-day limit, but it has made consistent enforcement far more practical. As a result, a working model used by some transport companies for years has collided with Schengen rules that were not designed around drivers spending much of the year on regular international routes.

The European Commission sees the need for practical solutions for highly mobile workers. However, just days before the planned protest, no mechanism had emerged that would persuade Balkan carriers to call off the blockades.

If nothing changes, the legal issue surrounding drivers’ stays could quickly become an operational problem for European supply chains on 14 September.

Companies operating to and from the Western Balkans should prepare for possible longer transit times, monitor the main crossings with Croatia and Hungary and, where possible, secure their most time-sensitive deliveries well in advance.