EU offers no solution for Western Balkan truck drivers' Schengen stay limits, meeting planned

Truck drivers from the Western Balkans face continued uncertainty as the European Commission has yet to provide a solution regarding their limited stay in Schengen zone countries. Neđo Mandić, president of the Serbian Association for International Transport, stated that no resolution has been offered for the restriction, which limits professional drivers to 90 days within a 180-day period in Schengen areas.

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Drivers who are found in the Schengen zone are still being deported, and trucks are being detained, even after April 10 of this year when it was agreed that 'days spent in the Schengen zone up to that date would be erased (reset) and a new count would begin.

A meeting with the relevant EU Directorate for Mobility and Transport was anticipated for the end of the following week, but Mandić noted that three key directors are on vacation until August 12. The associations from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia have formally requested a meeting, proposing Belgrade or Brussels as locations, though an online format is likely.

Despite an agreement on April 10 to reset the count of days spent in the Schengen zone, drivers who have already reached their 90-day limit are still unable to enter countries like Croatia, Hungary, or Romania. This situation mirrors the challenges faced since the 90/180 rule was introduced in October 2025, impacting international transport operations. The rule, intended to curb irregular migration, has effectively equated the status of professional truck drivers with that of tourists.

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Those drivers who have fulfilled the 90-day quota in the last six months still cannot enter Croatia, Hungary, or Romania.

Following a previous meeting of Western Balkan transporters, a deadline of August 10, 2026, was proposed to the European Commission for a response on resolving the drivers' issue, but no concrete solutions have been provided. Consequently, transporters from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia are scheduled to hold a regional meeting in North Macedonia on August 11 to discuss their next steps.

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The 90/180 rule, the EU introduced it to prevent an uncontrolled influx of migrants, thereby equating the status of professional truck drivers in international transport with the status of tourists.