North Macedonia’s Economic Chamber calls for eased Schengen rules for transporters

North Macedonia’s Economic Chamber has called for the introduction of a special status for transporters, as well as a long-term solution to the problems they face, Anadolu reports.

Daniel Matrakoski, coordinator for international cooperation at the Economic Chamber, said during a press conference that professional drivers should be exempt from the Schengen restrictions imposed on tourists.

According to him, 77.5 percent of North Macedonia’s exports go directly to the European Union, so it is unreasonable for drivers who support European industry to be subject to the same 90-day Schengen limit as tourists.

The issue of the obstacles affecting transporters is expected to be addressed at the upcoming meeting of the region’s economy ministers, which will be held tomorrow in Cetinje.

Matrakoski described the meeting as an important opportunity for the concerns of the region’s business community to be heard and examined directly by the responsible ministers and senior representatives of the European Commission, without intermediaries.

At the end of last month, transporters protested in front of the EU Delegation in Skopje. They called for a solution to the problem concerning professional drivers’ stays in the Schengen Area.