Council of Ministers on the track of solving problems for BiH transporters, decision at the next session

(Patria) - The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina will, at its next session, consider the supplemented Information of the Ministry of Communications and Transport on the problems faced by BiH transporters and drivers when performing international road transport of goods and passengers.

The key issue relates to the stay restrictions applied to drivers from BiH when performing international transport. The solution to this problem will focus on exempting BiH transporters/drivers from these restrictions, so that their stay is registered as transit, not as stay and stopover. The goal is to resolve the unequal position of BiH transporters in the regional and international context.

The Minister of Communications and Transport, Edin Forto, announced that he will also present this problem at the next meeting of Western Balkan transport ministers, which will be held on May 16, 2025, in Belgrade, organized by the Transport Community. At that meeting, Forto will emphasize the importance of a regional approach in solving this problem.

The BiH Council of Ministers reminds that earlier, in June and November last year, it considered similar information on the problems of transporters, and that the competent ministers of BiH initiated bilateral activities and are continuously holding talks with representatives of the European Commission. However, this problem has still not been resolved, and the control of drivers from BiH in the EU is further complicated by the announced introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES), which is expected to be introduced at the end of 2025.

Also, the BiH Council of Ministers reminds that it is important to implement Article 59 of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between BiH and the European Union, which stipulated that the provision of transport services is based on the principle of non-discrimination and the gradual harmonization of BiH legislation with EU legislation in the field of transport.