Bulgaria and Romania are at the beginning of the year abolished land border controls and became full members of the Schengen zone, joining the expanded block of countries whose residents can travel without passport checks.
This change took effect on January 1 at midnight, when at a crossing near the Bulgarian border town of Ruse, Bulgarian and Romanian interior ministers Atanas Ilkov and Katalin Predoja symbolically raised a barrier on the Friendship Bridge, Reuters reported.
Air and sea travel checks from Bulgaria and Romania were abolished in March 2024. Ground checks remained in place until the end of last year due to a veto by Austria to prevent irregular migration.
Bulgaria and Romania waited 13 years to enter the Schengen zone.
Given that both countries border Serbia, which is currently far from entering Schengen, it is certain that this change will leave some mark on Serbian international transport, both freight and passenger.
New highway – another obstacle to Serbian transport
The northern, central and southern part of Europe is preparing for a big connection, and the key point on the map is the Via Carpatia - the planned transnational highway network that will connect the northern and southern parts of Europe.
The goal of this project is to connect the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda on the Baltic Sea with the Greek port city of Thessaloniki on the Aegean Sea. The opening is expected in 2025, writes N1.
Via Carpatia is planned to pass through several countries, including Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. It starts in the north in Lithuania and passes through eastern Poland, Slovakia and along the Hungarian-Romanian border before entering Bulgaria and Romania.
It reaches Thessaloniki through western Romania and Bulgaria. There is also the possibility of building a southern branch that would extend the journey to the Black Sea city of Constanta.
This ambitious highway network has the potential to significantly improve connectivity between the countries of Central and Southern Europe.
However, this highway does not pass through Serbia, so it is certain that its construction will further reduce the flow of international traffic in Serbia.
Lower flow of freight vehicles
Retired Professor of the Faculty of Transportation Milan Vujanić tells "Vreme" that such socio-political changes leave a mark on transport.
"Certainly, the Schengen countries will see that their transport goes within this zone, because it is a simpler procedure. Now there are long waits at the border crossings at the entrance to Serbia, which will also affect transport, and we will soon see the consequences of all this", Vujanić believes.
What about the toll?
As Vujanić assumes, in the future, the greater part of professional and freight transport will go through Schengen. However, when it comes to passenger transport, things will remain more or less the same.
"Ordinary vehicles may want to change routes, but not to such an extent." Every vehicle passing through Serbia must pay a toll. With this change, which brings a lower flow of vehicles through the country, we will have less revenue from tolls", he explains.
Such a loss could be compensated if Serbia decides to reduce the toll amount, which Vujanić believes is currently high. This measure would attract travelers who are undecided whether to go through Serbia or completely through the Schengen zone to go through Serbia anyway.
There are not only two EU members in the Schengen area
Border controls between France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were first abolished in 1985.
The Schengen area now covers 25 of the 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Ireland and Cyprus are not members of the Schengen area.
