Truck drivers in North Macedonia and Montenegro have suspended their participation in the regional protests on January 29 against the EU’s new border control system after the European Commission accepted key demands raised by transport associations from the Western Balkans.

The decision followed confirmation that the European Commission will adopt a new visa strategy addressing the problems professional drivers face under the 90-day-in-180-day rule in the Schengen area. With the suspension of the protests, freight traffic is expected to normalise after nearly four days of disruption.

Truck drivers from four Western Balkans countries have been blocking freight traffic since January 26 in a protest against new Schengen rules due to enter into force on April 1, 2026. They have long argued that, like air, maritime and rail crews, they should be exempt from the 90-day-in-180-day limit, given the nature of their work.

Under the European Commission’s new position, professional drivers would be entitled to stay longer than 90 days in the EU, provided their stay is registered in an EU member state. While this does not yet constitute a concrete legislative solution, the Commission said it will work with member states on “pragmatic solutions” and consider new EU-level legislation.

Drivers in Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina are also expected to decide later on January 29 whether to halt their blockades, following fresh talks prompted by the EU’s announcement, RTS reported.

The president of the Association of Transporters of Serbia, Nedjo Mandic, said that a joint meeting of Serbian and Bosnian transporters would be held on the evening of January 29 to discuss lifting the blockades of cargo terminals at border crossings. The talks come after the European Commission indicated it would allow professional drivers to stay in the Schengen zone for longer than 90 days.

“We are in favour of lifting the blockades, but we still have to see the positions of Bosnian transporters in order to make a definitive decision,” Mandic was cited as saying.

Mandic said Serbian transport operators were broadly satisfied with the EU’s newly presented visa strategy, which foresees possible new legislation at EU level with specific rules for extended short-term stays. However, he noted that some issues remain unresolved and that further meetings with key institutions are scheduled for January 30.

In North Macedonia, the Makam-trans Association announced in a Facebook post that truck drivers would withdraw from the blockades of the freight sections of border crossings on January 29 at 8:00 pm.

North Macedonia’s Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikolski welcomed the development, saying in a Facebook post that Brussels had accepted the demands of transporters. “Drivers have been accepted as professionals. That is what we were looking for,” he said, adding that the new visa strategy should resolve one of the sector’s most pressing challenges.

In Montenegro, the Association of Transporters also decided on January 29 to end its blockade following a meeting with government representatives, RTCG reported. While using the regional protest to raise domestic issues, the association said progress had been made on several fronts, including assurances on VAT refunds, longer transit periods for imported goods and extended working hours for phytosanitary inspectors. The issue of excise duties on fuel remains unresolved.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic welcomed the agreement, saying dialogue was the only path to sustainable solutions and confirming that talks with EU institutions would continue.