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Serbia and Balkan Neighbors Block Borders in Protest of EU Entry System

Published January 26, 2026, 13:14
Serbia and Balkan Neighbors Block Borders in Protest of EU Entry System

Carriers from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia have begun blocking border crossings with Schengen countries and other neighboring nations, protesting the implementation of the new EU entry system (EES). Transport associations are demanding that professional truck drivers be exempt from the 90-day-per-six-month stay limit within the Schengen area and be treated as cross-border workers with longer permitted stays. They also express strong dissatisfaction with the complexity and delays caused by the new electronic entry control system. The EES, which replaces passport stamping with biometric data, has been gradually implemented since October 2025 and will be fully operational in April 2026. The carriers propose a meeting with European Commission officials to find a solution. The blockade, expected to last seven days, will allow the passage of trucks carrying perishable goods, live animals, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and military materials. The blockade only affects freight terminals and not the passage of citizens. This action has led to the formation of large queues of trucks at the borders.