# Western Balkans transport dispute over Schengen rules

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/western-balkans-transport-dispute-over-schengen-rules
> Updated: 2026-08-24T09:01:49.000Z. Sources: 39. Developments: 3.

Truck drivers from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia are protesting the European Commission’s enforcement of the 90/180-day stay rule within the Schengen area. Introduced in October 2025 to curb irregular migration, the regulation treats professional drivers as tourists, limiting their stay to 90 days within any 180-day period. Drivers report that a temporary agreement reached on 10 April 2026, intended to reset these counts, is not being respected. This has led to repeated deportations and the detention of trucks at borders including Croatia, Hungary, and Romania.

Transport associations have threatened mass protests and border blockades to prevent multimillion-euro losses. In response to the ongoing crisis, companies across the Western Balkans have announced coordinated regional protests for 31 August. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, protesters plan to gather at the Parliamentary Assembly in Sarajevo before marching to the EU Delegation building with a convoy of heavy goods vehicles. Similar demonstrations are scheduled in Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, with participants gathering in front of EU delegations between 12:00 and 14:00.

Industry representatives, including the ‘Logistika BiH’ Consortium and the ‘Makam-trans’ Association, demand a specific professional status to exempt drivers from tourist-based restrictions. If the European Commission does not provide a solution during a working group meeting in Brussels on 1 September, transport companies have threatened to escalate actions by blocking all border crossings with the EU, potentially starting as early as 14 September.

## Claims

- Transport companies from the Western Balkans will hold coordinated regional protests on August 31. (disputed by 10 sources)
- Transport companies from Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro are threatening protests if no EU solution is reached by September 1. (disputed by 7 sources)
- The current EU rule limits professional drivers from non-Schengen countries to 90 days of stay within a 180-day period. (corroborated by 12 sources)
- Western Balkan transport associations held a regional meeting in Skopje on August 11 to discuss Schengen stay limits. (corroborated by 10 sources)
- The European Commission has not yet provided a specific solution for the 90/180-day stay restriction. (corroborated by 10 sources)
- Protests will take place simultaneously in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. (corroborated by 10 sources)
- The protests are a response to the Schengen 90/180-day rule affecting professional drivers. (corroborated by 10 sources)
- If demands are not met, transport companies threaten to block all border crossings with the EU. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- Drivers propose that stay duration be calculated based on hours and minutes rather than full days. (corroborated by 6 sources)
- In Sarajevo, the protest will include a march from the Parliamentary Assembly to the EU Delegation building. (corroborated by 6 sources)
- Macedonia has signed bilateral agreements with Switzerland, Croatia, and Romania to address transporter issues. (corroborated by 5 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-24: Western Balkan transport companies announce regional protests

Western Balkan transport companies will hold coordinated regional protests on August 31 to demand changes to Schengen stay rules for professional drivers, threatening border blockades if demands are unmet.

13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sarajevo-to-host-fourth-international-logistics-conference

### 2026-08-10: Western Balkan transporters delay protests over Schengen stay rules

Western Balkan transport associations will delay border protests until September 1, awaiting a European Commission decision on Schengen stay rules for professional drivers.

25 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/western-balkan-transport-associations-seek-schengen-stay-solutions

### 2026-08-07: Western Balkans truck drivers threaten border blockades over EU 90‑day stay rule

Truck drivers from Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and North Macedonia plan border blockades unless the EU lifts the 90‑day Schengen stay limit, threatening regional freight flows.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/western-balkans-truck-drivers-threaten-border-blockades-over-eu-90day-stay-rule

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Cite as: Western Balkans transport dispute over Schengen rules. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/western-balkans-transport-dispute-over-schengen-rules