Key crossing between Croatia and BiH to close next week?! 'Serious problems could arise'

A critical border crossing between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina near Gradiška is at risk of closure next week due to bureaucratic complexities, according to Bosnia and Herzegovina's Indirect Taxation Authority (UNO).

The issue arises as Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and BiH Council of Ministers Chairwoman Borjana Krišto are scheduled to sign a new agreement on border crossings in Sarajevo on Monday. However, the UNO has warned that the new crossing, which opened on a temporary basis in May, cannot continue to operate because the necessary administrative prerequisites within BiH have not been met.

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UNO believes that before the application of the new agreement begins, all necessary organizational and administrative prerequisites for its smooth implementation must be created.

This administrative failure means that passenger and goods traffic at the Gradiška crossing could become impossible. The old crossing is currently closed for repairs following a bridge fence collapse, and the duration of these repairs is unknown. Consequently, there will be no border crossing for goods requiring full inspection in the entire northern and northwestern region of BiH.

The core of the problem lies in the political blockades within BiH, which have prevented the adoption of a new regulation on the internal organization of the UNO. This regulation is essential for establishing a permanent customs officer presence at the new Gradiška crossing. The UNO insists that all necessary organizational and administrative conditions must be in place before the new agreement takes effect, warning of serious consequences for cross-border traffic, the economy, transporters, and citizens if these issues are not resolved.

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Otherwise, serious problems could arise in the functioning of cross-border traffic in the Gradiška area, with significant consequences for the economy, transporters, and citizens.