English
Truckers from Macedonia today joined truckers from other Balkan countries, and blocked border crossings, as a warning against the strict new EU rules that will prevent them from operating. Long haul truckers will not be allowed to spend more than 90 days in the EU within a 180 day period, meaning that they will have to spend much of the year idle at home while the companies will have to double the number of drivers they hire.
Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski joined the protest at the Blace border crossing with Kosovo today to express his support.
This is a warning protest. The drivers want to show what their plans are for the period beyond April 10th. There is time to use February and March and to have the Schengen zone countries come up with a solution, Nikoloski said, warning that the spiking freight costs will devastate Balkan economies.
As potential options, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the EU can postpone the implementation of its electronic border crossing rules, or it could allow truckers to spend up to 250 days a year in the EU. “Alternatively, it could treat the drivers are professionals and exempt them from its rules, like it with Switzerland, allowing them free transit”, Nikoloski said.
The protest means that only trucks are blocked from leaving Macedonia, while other vehicles are allowed to go through. This will be in force for seven days.
The three crossings toward Bulgaria were blocked, as were the three crossings with Greece, and the two with Albania.
A European Commission spokesman today said that the EU is aware of the problem and that it is fully committed to working on the issue.