Send documents on email

Due to the outbreak and spread of coronavirus and COVID-19 disease, countries are taking appropriate and unilateral measures in order to put the situation under control as much as possible. However, at both the European Union and Western Balkans levels, efforts have been made to exclude international road carriers from such measures and restrictions, in order to mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic by supplying goods in this difficult situation.

In addition to the EU corridors, the „Green Corridors“ initiative from the Communication of the European Commission of 23 March 2020 also positions corridors in the Western Balkan countries that need to be established.

Considering that, by the decision of the Crisis Management Committee of the Republic of Croatia, three international border crossings between our two countries were determined for the international transit of goods through the Republic of Croatia, and the BiH Council of Ministers confirmed at today's session the same border crossings mentioned in the decision of the Republic of Croatia, which is fully compatible with the document of the European Commission.

The border crossings between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia intended for transit through the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina are as follows: Bijača – Nova Sela, Gradiška – Stara Gradiška, Šamac – Slavonski Šamac, Neum 1 – Klek and Neum 2 – Zaton Doli.

The convoys organised by the Croatian police gathering vehicles that enter the Republic of Croatia at a specific border crossing in convoys and escorting them to the exit of Croatia aggravate the situation even more. Currently, the drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina are forced to wait for a very long time. For example, a driver who entered Croatia via the Stara Gradiška border crossing on 22 March 2020 at 22.00 hrs., according to available information is still waiting for the formation and movement of a convoy.

Due to such decision of the Republic of Croatia, the business community/carriers engaged in international road transport from BiH are facing long delays and waiting in transport operations.  In Gradiška there are kilometres long queues of vehicles and the waiting time exceeds two days due to difficult entry into the Republic of Croatia. Drivers must respect the rules of isolation (staying in the vehicle cabin) some 48hrs waiting just to cross the territory of Croatia. Forming convoys takes too much time, as well as their movement.

It is necessary to ensure the transit of freight vehicles through the Republic of Croatia without forming convoys, to enable freight vehicles in transit through Croatia to use the Šamac border crossing to go to any country, which is currently not the case, and, if possible, to provide another border crossing for transit of freight vehicles.

We appeal to all institutions and bodies in the Republic of Croatia to end this bad practice, to clearly designate the transit corridors, and not to expose drivers to such cruel conditions in which many carriers are forced to stop their operation, not due to their fault.  

We ask appeal to consider such facilitations, to abolish police escorting for the corridors that have already been defined and to harmonise their actions with other EU Member States. It takes some 48hrs to cross the 250-kilometer route, which is a disaster for drivers.

We ask for your understanding and urge that that the drivers, who are the only pillar of the defence of the economy in this situation, are able to carry out with dignity such extremely difficult job under the given circumstance.

Earlier today, after a meeting of Minister Mitrović and Minister Radončić with the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina, a task team was formed that is to consider the current situation at border crossings with Croatia, and three other operational teams have also been formed, headed by the representatives from the BiH Border Police, for any border crossings on the “green lines” - Gradiška, Šamac and Bijača – in order to facilitate direct communication with the representatives of the Republic of Croatia.

This huge problem may only be resolved with the involvement of all relevant decision-making stakeholders, given the catastrophic current situation, particularly on the Bosanska Gradiška border crossing.

Minister Mitrović once again takes the opportunity to thank the lorry drivers for all their efforts and stressed that they are true heroes in these difficult times.