MANDIĆ: TRANSPORTERS WILL AGAIN BLOCK BORDER CROSSINGS

BELGRADE, MARCH 6 /SRNA/ – The head of the business association "International Transport," Neđo Mandić, has announced today that transporters from all Western Balkan countries will again initiate a blockade of border crossings with EU member states.

At a press conference in Belgrade, Mandić stated that the exact date of the blockades over the limited stay allowed in the Schengen zone has not yet been determined.

Reacting to arrests, deportations, and entry bans to the Schengen territory, Mandić emphasized that the drivers from BiH are currently under the greatest pressure, where 150 transporters have been turned back over the past two weeks.

"Yesterday alone, more than 100 trucks were turned back from the border with Croatia, making them face more serious problems than other countries. That is why there is also an issue in coordinating the date of the protest," Mandić explained.

He added that blockades are the only option transporters have, since the EU is rejecting all their proposals and solutions, reminding that April 10 is approaching, when the full implementation of the new EU entry-exit control system will begin.

"For us, that is D-Day. As of that date, our drivers will no longer be able to enter the EU if they have more than 90 days of stay. We had firm promises that until April 10 the days would not be counted but only recorded, yet we see that this is not the case, especially at the border between Croatia and BiH," Mandić said.

He believes that the idea of the Croatian authorities to change the legal framework in order to enable long-term visas for transporters is a good one, even when the driver does not reside in Croatia and does not work for a Croatian company.