Nikoloski: I appeal to the EU for Macedonian carriers to be exempted from the new EEC rules so that we do not suffer economic damage

Skopje – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski stated today in Parliament that he agrees with the position that the introduction of the EES system for transporters should be postponed. At the opposition questions session, Nikoloski said that the Government supports the position of the Chamber of Foreign Investors in Macedonia regarding the EES system for entry and exit from the EU and announced that after the session there will be a meeting with the President of the Economic Chamber, Branko Azeski, on this topic.

– I hope that a joint pressure will yield results. Also, at yesterday’s Government session we tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade to once again address the EU with a request to postpone these rules, so I hope that this problem will be resolved because it is enormous and because it represents a serious blow to the economies of the entire Western Balkans region – said Nikoloski.

He pointed out that this has been discussed with the European Union for more than a year, but also said that they are not met with understanding.  

– I will convey to them that what they are doing will practically mean death for the economy in the region, but it will also mean the closure of numerous foreign investments that operate in the region and come precisely from EU member states. I am deliberately using the word region because this concerns the entire Western Balkans, it is not only about Macedonia – said Nikoloski.

He said that transporters cannot obtain work visas because they do not have a single employer in a specific Schengen member state and in that way it is impossible to obtain a work visa for the carriers, and they only transit through the Schengen area to reach the United Kingdom. There are numerous problems that are emerging – added Nikoloski.

Answering a question from opposition MP Mitko Trajculeski, Nikoloski said that yesterday he spoke with representatives of several sectors and businesses in Macedonia and that this will not only affect the direct jobs that will be closed but will also affect the companies, that is, the basic rates in their operations. 

Nikoloski said that the public needs to have an understanding that we have very serious challenges as a region, which will strongly hit the economy. (21 January 2026)