Truck drivers from several Western Balkan countries have initiated coordinated border blockades at key crossing points to the European Union, a move that is creating significant disruptions for freight movement and posing economic challenges for Kosovo.
The protest began at midday on January 26, 2026, when carriers from Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro stopped the movement of goods at multiple border crossings leading into the Schengen area of the EU. They have threatened to continue the blockade for up to seven days unless their concerns are addressed.
Why Truckers Are Protesting
The drivers say their actions respond to complaints about the European Union’s new Entry-Exit System (EES) — a digital monitoring system for tracking border crossings into and out of the Schengen zone. According to transport associations, the system is causing excessive delays and administrative barriers that make it nearly impossible for professional drivers from the Western Balkans to work efficiently in EU markets. They want transport companies and their drivers exempted from some of these new controls.
Impact on Kosovo
Although Kosovo is not directly participating in the border blockade — largely because Kosovar transport firms do not yet carry out significant regular freight to EU countries — the effects are expected to be felt strongly in the territory.
The National Border Management Center of Kosovo has warned that truck traffic could be halted across all border points with Serbia, resulting in serious disruptions to imports and exports. The bottlenecks are already increasing traffic pressures at Kosovo’s regional crossings.
Lulzim Rafuna, president of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce and head of the Western Balkan Chambers of Commerce group, said that Kosovo would not join the protest since it lacks large logistics companies with regular EU routes. Nevertheless, he emphasized that Kosovo will still feel the consequences, especially given that much of its freight — with an estimated daily import value of around €20 million — travels via Serbia and North Macedonia.
Rafuna and regional business representatives have written to European Commission leadership seeking urgent discussions and long-term solutions to the dispute, warning that the measures could weaken regional supply chains and create broader economic strain.
Broader Regional Dynamics
Similar trucker protests are reported across the Western Balkans, with some associations warning that the blockade could intensify if no institutional response or compromise is reached. In North Macedonia, for example, hundreds of heavy goods vehicles are expected to block freight traffic at all major crossings for several days, signalling broad support for the protest among transport groups in the region.