Serbia Southeast European truck drivers block EU external borders
Truck drivers from the south-eastern European countries of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Montenegro are protesting against strict EU residence rules with border blockades. Since midday, the truck drivers have been blocking the handling of goods at their countries' borders with EU neighbors Hungary, Croatia and Bulgaria, as reported by Serbian media.
26.01.2026, 21:16
SDA
The indefinite action is directed against the increasingly strict enforcement of EU residence regulations, according to which non-EU citizens from European countries are only allowed to stay in EU territory for 90 days within a 180-day period. Truck drivers, who drive back and forth between their own and EU countries almost daily, can hardly comply with this rule.
Rule has been in place for some time
The rule has been in place for some time, but was not previously enforced for truck drivers and commuters. The situation has changed since the EU border authorities began registering non-EU citizens entering the EU at the external borders using a computer system and thus recording their exact length of stay. Freight forwarders' associations from the Balkans are complaining that hundreds of truck drivers from the region have been stopped by the police in Germany and other EU countries in recent months for exceeding the permitted length of stay and deported like irregular migrants.
"90 days in six months is simply not enough," Nedjo Mandic from the Serbian Association of Transport Companies told Serbian TV station N1. "In this period of time, our drivers cannot earn enough money, we cannot cover our costs and are forced to cease operations."
A spokesperson for the EU Commission said in Brussels that the Union was aware of the concerns expressed by transport companies in the Balkan region. "We are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with our partners in the region," he added. Efforts to remedy the situation are underway.
