Muratovska: If Brussels meets the demands of the carriers, there will be huge benefits for the economy of the Western Balkans
Skopje – Due to the introduction of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) of the European Union, Macedonian transporters, as well as those from Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, have announced that on Monday they will begin a seven-day blockade of the border crossings leading to the Schengen Area.
Biljana Muratovska, Secretary General of the Association of Employers’ Organizations of Transport Trading Companies “Makam-trans”, told MIA that they are aware of the consequences of the blockade, but emphasized that if their demands are met, the benefits will be enormous in terms of the growth and development of the economy both in the country and in the Western Balkans.
Muratovska says that so far there are no signals from the European Commission about any negotiations regarding resolving the problem of recording stays in the Schengen Area in accordance with the 90/180-day rule for professional drivers.
– If by Monday no information is received from the EU, the protest in all four countries will start exactly at 12 o’clock for all vehicles leaving the country, and for all vehicles entering the country the border crossings will be closed at 00:00 so that everyone returning home can enter and join the protest – said Muratovska.
The main demand of the transporters is to find a solution for the stay of drivers in the Schengen Area, as Muratovska explains, so that days are not recorded or that they are issued some kind of visas that are not limited by the number of days.
– The new rules will mean a complete collapse of the economy in the country, that is, in the entire Western Balkans region, including Turkey (countries that are not members of the EU and the Schengen Area), due to the disruption of the supply chain. And the transport industry, in which huge capital has been invested and which provides an inflow of effective foreign currency into the budget, will be completely shaken – points out Muratovska.
The protest, she emphasizes, begins on January 26, and depending on the reaction of the EU, it will depend whether it will start or last briefly, but still the maximum duration of the blockades will be seven days, which is synonymous with an average cycle of goods transport.
– With this blockade we are aware that there will be certain minimal financial losses for everyone, but still the benefits of this, if our demands are met, will be enormous in terms of the growth and development of the economy in the country and in the Western Balkans – said Muratovska. (January 23, 2026)
