Forto: We welcome the introduction of EES and call for a fairer calculation of stay for professional drivers, counted in hours

(Patria) - The Ministry of Communications and Transport of BiH welcomes the introduction of EES and calls for a fairer calculation of stay for professional drivers: 90 days = 2160 hours.

"We are asking our European partners for simple, fair things: first, a formal interpretation that the stay of professional drivers in international traffic is calculated in hours based on EES timestamps, second, that professional documents – the driver qualification card (code 95), the tachograph card, CMR and accompanying permits – are standardly recognized as confirmation of status and purpose of entry, and third, the exchange of best practices among border managers and carriers to avoid different interpretations on the ground and unnecessary delays. If technology measures precisely, the rules should apply just as precisely," said Minister Edin Forto.

The European Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) will be implemented on October 12, 2025, with a transition phase until April 10, 2026. EES abolishes passport stamping and introduces digital records of entry/exit for travelers from outside the EU/Schengen for short stays (the 90/180 rule), which includes citizens of BiH.

Upon the first entry after October 12, biometrics will be recorded (photograph and fingerprints for those over 12 years old), and subsequent entries will be faster as they rely on the existing digital record. Ahead of the phased implementation of EES and parallel reliance on the Schengen Information System (SIS), the Ministry of Communications and Transport of BiH emphasizes that the digital record of entry/exit finally allows for precise measurement of the actual time spent in the Schengen area. This is an opportunity for the stay of professional drivers in international road transport to be calculated by the hour, rather than roughly by the day.

Minister Forto will send a letter to the European Commission, relevant agencies, and member states with a formal proposal for hourly calculation of stay for professional drivers, offering that BiH, through its institutions and the transport sector, assist with pilot protocols and data exchange in accordance with data protection rules.

"EES introduces hours and data where there were previously stamps and estimations. We ask for this fairness to be translated into practice: the stay of professional drivers should be calculated in hours, as they have actually spent it – at the border, during loading, during rest, on the road. If Europe has a system that measures accurately, then the rules should also be accurate," Forto adds.

EES records the exact moments of entry and exit from the Schengen area and replaces paper stamps with a digital trail. In combination with SIS and accompanying professional documents, the driver's status and purpose of entry can be reliably confirmed. This is the basis for calculating the total stay in hours, rather than treating every crossing after midnight as a "new day" and thus unfairly reducing the available balance of 90 days in 180.

What does not change: the visa regime, security checks, and checks on the purpose of travel remain standard; what changes is the method of recording – digital EES instead of stamps. This reduces errors and allows for consistent application of the "90 in 180" rule without administrative "cutting" into calendar days.