Cargo border crossings into the EU blocked today due to professional drivers' issues

(Patria) - A major regional protest by the transport sector at cargo border crossings of the European Union due to issues with the stay of professional drivers in the Schengen area has been announced for today starting at 12:00 PM.

As announced by the Logistics Consortium of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at 12:00 PM, carriers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia will begin blocking cargo border terminals.

It is expected that 17 million residents will face supply chain disruptions.

Although coordinators on the ground will strive not to disrupt passenger traffic and emergencies, cargo traffic will be completely halted.

The Consortium demands immediate institutional action from Bosnia and Herzegovina towards the European Commission and all embassies of EU member states accredited in Bosnia and Herzegovina due to the restriction of the duration of stay for professional drivers in Schengen countries, arrests, and deportations from EU countries.

The Consortium emphasizes that they do not accept terms like "monitoring the situation" or "complexity of the issue" but only a clear answer.

"We pose the question - do domestic carriers from BiH have the right to work or not? If they don't, let it be stated publicly. If they do, then deportations, bans, and administrative arbitrariness must stop immediately," state the Consortium.

In the statement, the Consortium notes that road transport participates with more than 94 percent in the functioning of BiH's supply chains and states that without domestic carriers, there is no export, import, industry, or market stability.

In the past year, 100 drivers have been arrested and deported from EU countries.