Skopje, 11 August 2026 (MIA) - The outcome of a meeting with representatives of the European Commission on September 1 will determine whether associations representing professional drivers from the Western Balkans will stage protests over the issue faced by drivers from the region concerning their stay in the Schengen Area, said the heads of the associations at a meeting Tuesday in Skopje.

The representatives of the associations said they would prefer not to protest, but will do so if they have to, warning that protests will not be interrupted like last time but instead continue until their demands for the stay of professional drivers in the Schengen Area are fulfilled.

"We will be patient, we will try to create plans for the movement of drivers. Currently we are in a period of summer holidays, however what will happen from September on will be very tragic if we do not find a solution. We do not want to harm anyone – not the European Union, not our countries, and least of all the professional drivers themselves – but if we have to, we will stage protests once again reminding that there is an issue that needs to be solved," said the head of the Macedonian Transport Association – Makam-trans, Biljana Muratovska.

The associations agree that the Schengen Area stay agreement should remain unchanged, but they are demanding strict compliance with the 90-day rule within any 180-day period – meaning every minute and hour should count. They are also demanding a precise deadline for when their issue will be resolved.

"Essentially, we are asking for our full 90 days. If they insist on counting the day of entry as the first day and the day of exit as the second day, we will have a serious problem, and the issue will remain unresolved. We are not ordinary tourists visiting Schengen countries, we are professionals working every day, depending on the length of our routes," said the head of the Serbian association, Neđo Mandić.

Mandić said they are already facing serious challenges, with 50 percent of drivers refusing to drive due to uncertainty at the borders, noting that everything depends on the discretion of border personnel who all interpret the 90/180 rule differently.

"We are at the mercy of individuals at the border and how they choose to interpret the rule. There is total uncertainty. Drivers set off knowing they haven't exhausted their allowed time, but when they get there, one official tells them one thing, another tells them something else, one lets them through, another doesn't," Mandić said.

The issue affects approximately 17.000 professional drivers from the country, and 100.000 across the Western Balkans.

Photo: MIA