The Association of International Road Freight Carriers of Montenegro will block freight traffic at border crossings today, demanding urgent action from authorities over long-standing problems in the road transport sector. The protest will begin at noon and affect nine border crossings as well as entry and exit points at the Port of Bar. Truck traffic will be halted indefinitely until the demands are met.
The blockade is expected to most severely impact supermarkets and fuel stations, with potential shortages of food and fuel. Passenger traffic and transport of medicines, animals, explosives, and weapons will be allowed to continue.
Truck drivers are protesting over fuel excise refunds, faster VAT refunds, longer working hours for customs and phytosanitary inspections, changes to ETIAS rules, and recognition of preferential pension service. The protest is part of a wider regional action involving carriers from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, opposing Schengen rules that limit professional drivers’ stays to 90 days within a six-month period.
Police have approved the protests for 72 hours, until Thursday at noon. Montenegro’s Minister of European Affairs warned that the blockades could disrupt international transport and supply chains, while regional chambers of commerce have appealed to the European Commission for an urgent solution, citing the strategic importance of uninterrupted trade between the Western Balkans and the EU.
