Thousands of Bosnian truck drivers halted work across the country on Monday, September 1, threatening to block goods deliveries until their demands for more flexible travel conditions and greater support within the European Union are met.
Around 6,000 truckers stalled the majority of Bosnia’s transport flow, creating traffic jams in protest for improved working terms in the EU, which represents the nation’s largest export market.
According to official statistics, about 64% of Bosnia’s external trade was with the EU in 2024. According to Velibor Peulić of the country’s main truckers’ association, Konzorcijum logistika BiH
We have halted our supply chains throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The union had already prevented around 4,000 tonnes of goods from arriving in the capital Sarajevo, Peulić added.
For months, representatives of the sector—which has between 15,000 and 18,000 members—have been asking the authorities to negotiate with the EU to change a rule they label as “discriminatory” against them.
Within the bloc, which Bosnia aspires to join, an average trucker’s stay is limited to 90 days within a 180-day period—the same as afforded to a typical tourist.
The regulation originates from 2008, when Bosnia signed a trade and aid agreement with the EU, marking the country’s first formal step toward full membership of the political and economic bloc.
The truckers are demanding either an exemption from the 90-day limit or that their stays be counted in hours rather than days.
While the truckers did not intend to disrupt traffic, their protest has led to reported major delays at city entrances, including Sarajevo.
