Support of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber in Addressing the EU Permit Issue for Serbian Truck Drivers

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber will jointly approach European Union institutions in Brussels, as well as EU Member States, to find a solution to the problem of transport permits for truck drivers from Serbia. This was agreed today at a meeting between Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS), Eva Liebman, Deputy Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO), and Jürgen Schröder, Director of Advantage Austria for Serbia.

“As early as next week, we will begin intensive work on this important issue—transport permits for truck drivers. We expect solutions to be defined in January or February of next year. The Austrian business community has recognized the seriousness of this challenge, and together we will address both Brussels and the Member States that decide on this matter, in order to reach concrete outcomes as soon as possible. This issue must be resolved no later than March next year,” Čadež said following the meeting with representatives of Austrian business associations.

The EU “90/180 rule” stipulates that nationals of countries with a visa-free regime may stay in the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period, which effectively halves the working time of professional drivers. Serbian drivers warn that this rule already has, and will continue to have, significant consequences for Serbian drivers, supply chains, the economy, and exports.

Čadež also emphasized that an agreement had been reached with Austrian partners to organize a major meeting of representatives from Austria, the Visegrád Group, and the Western Balkans, dedicated to strengthening regional cooperation and joint economic initiatives.

The President of the CCIS recalled that cooperation with the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber has been ongoing for more than twelve years and has provided strong support to the Serbian Chamber, from the transformation of the chamber system through the establishment of the Center for Digital Transformation to the introduction of dual education.

In the coming period, a priority of this cooperation will also be the participation of Austrian companies at EXPO and at the GITEX Serbia technology innovation fair, which will be held in Serbia starting in 2027.