Western Balkans truck drivers threaten EU border blockade

Truck drivers from the Western Balkans have protested European Union rules on entry and exit, and threatened to block regional border points next month unless their grievances are heard.Hundreds of truckers gathered at locations across four Western Balkan states on Monday, demanding changes to rules that limit drivers from outside the Schengen area to 90 days in the border-free zone within any 180-day period.The drivers, hailing from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, warned they will block border crossings with the EU on September 14 if Brussels fails to exempt them from the Schengen limits.The dispute has intensified with the rollout of the EU’s Entry/Exit System, operational as of April, which electronically records the entry and exit of non-EU nationals. The system makes it easier to track how long drivers spend inside the Schengen zone, which includes 25 EU states. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland are also part of the zone despite not being EU members.The European Commission said earlier this year that it was in contact with partners in the Western Balkans in an effort to find a solution to the issue.One option under discussion is a ...