Protests by truck drivers from several Western Balkan countries that have disrupted freight traffic at European Union borders for days may ease after the European Commission announced a new visa strategy aimed at addressing long-standing residency limits for professional drivers, although Brussels stressed that no immediate rule changes have been agreed.
Truckers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro have staged coordinated blockades at border crossings with EU member states since early this week, protesting the EU’s strict application of the Schengen rule that limits stays by non-EU citizens to 90 days within any 180-day period.
Drivers say the rule, enforced more rigorously through the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), makes it impossible for them to work legally on long-haul routes within the bloc, triggering staff shortages, delivery delays and financial losses across the region.
The European Commission said on Thursday that professional drivers from the Western Balkans would be recognised as a special category under a newly adopted EU visa strategy, opening the door to greater flexibility for extended short-term stays without undermining security rules.
“The Commission will work closely with member states to identify pragmatic solutions for selected categories of third-country nationals who require longer stays,” the strategy document said, citing truck drivers, touring artists and athletes as professions highly dependent on mobility.
Border pressure and economic impact
The protests have caused long queues of trucks at key crossings into Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia, affecting supply chains and raising concerns among exporters and logistics firms about knock-on effects on food, industrial goods and fuel deliveries.
Bosnia’s Council of Ministers Chair Borjana Kristo discussed the issue on Thursday with EU Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Luigi Soreca, who briefed her on the Commission’s plans.
“Our shared interest is the unhindered flow of goods and the preservation of economic stability,” Kristo said in a statement after the meeting.
Despite the announcement, Bosnian hauliers said they would continue their blockades for a fourth consecutive night.
Zijad Šarić of the Logistics Consortium of Bosnia and Herzegovina said the Commission’s move was “an important first step” but insufficient without concrete legal changes.
“This finally recognises truck drivers as a special professional category and creates a basis for solving the Schengen stay problem,” Šarić said, adding that current rules had crippled transport companies.
Mixed reactions across the region
In North Macedonia, the association Makam-Trans said on Thursday evening that it would suspend truck blockades at all major border crossings from 8 p.m. local time, citing confirmation from Brussels that a new visa strategy would address drivers’ concerns.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski said the EU had accepted the argument that truck drivers should be treated as professionals rather than tourists.
“Our positions were accepted. Drivers are recognised as professionals. That was our key demand,” Nikoloski said in a social media post.
Montenegro’s transport association also lifted its blockades on Thursday after talks with the government, although its protest included additional domestic demands such as fuel excise refunds and faster VAT repayments.
Commission urges caution
However, senior EU officials sought to temper expectations, stressing that the existing Schengen rules remain unchanged for now.
“We are aware of the concerns of hauliers from the Western Balkans, but there are no new requirements or changes regarding the length of stay in the Schengen area at this stage,” European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen told reporters in Brussels.
Virkkunen said the new visa strategy proposes exploring greater flexibility without compromising security, but she did not outline specific measures or timelines.
The strategy also notes that the Commission may review existing bilateral agreements that allow longer stays in individual member states, warning that such arrangements undermine the uniform application of Schengen rules.
EU officials said a meeting between Western Balkan ministers and Commission representatives is scheduled for Feb. 3 to discuss possible solutions.
While transport companies welcomed the political signal from Brussels, industry representatives warned that without swift legal clarification, disruptions could resume.
“Recognition is important, but recognition alone does not move trucks,” one regional logistics executive said. “What matters is whether drivers can legally stay and work.”
For now, the protests appear to be easing in some countries, but uncertainty remains over whether the Commission’s strategy will translate into concrete relief for one of Europe’s most critical cross-border professions.