Truck carriers in four Western Balkan countries plan coordinated EU-border freight blockades from 14 September
Boiling Points · Friday, 11 September 2026
Why it matters
This crosses the user's threshold for a major, credibly imminent collective action: four countries are coordinating blockades at freight infrastructure, including routes through Croatia and Hungary that connect the Balkans to Central and Western Europe. It could turn a labor grievance over drivers' ability to keep working into truck backlogs affecting time-sensitive shipments and intermodal cargo.
What happened
Carrier organisations in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia plan to block freight crossings, cargo terminals and some rail terminals handling trailers from 14 September 2026. The action targets the Schengen rule limiting non-EU nationals to 90 days in any 180-day period; carriers say automated enforcement through the Entry/Exit System has left drivers facing turnarounds, deportations and re-entry bans while working routes into the EU. The European Commission has acknowledged that professional drivers are affected and mentioned visas, residence permits or bilateral arrangements, but no workable regional solution has been provided. North Macedonia is separately pursuing bilateral agreements with several EU countries, yet its carriers remain listed among the participants in the coordinated action.
Previously
8 Sep 2026 — Austria's Federal Economic Chamber said carrier organisations from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia had renewed their decision to block EU border crossings and access roads to intermodal terminals.(WKO via trans.info)
31 Aug 2026 — Transport organisations held demonstrations outside European Union representations in four Western Balkan countries and submitted a joint letter seeking a work-related solution to the Schengen 90/180-day limit for professional drivers.(trans.info)
10 Apr 2026 — The European Union fully rolled out its Entry/Exit System, which electronically records third-country nationals' entries and exits and calculates time spent in the Schengen area.(trans.info)
30 Jan 2026 — Western Balkan carriers ended blockades of traffic at crossings leading into the European Union after the European Commission said it would establish a working group to develop a solution to the drivers' 90/180-day problem.(trans.info)
Players & places
- Serbia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- European Commission