Ensuring availability of essential goods to Western Balkan countries

Ensuring availability of essential goods to Western Balkan countries

Joint proposal prepared by the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community and the CEFTA Secretariat to facilitate the transport and trade of essential goods within the Western Balkans

The spreading of COVID-19 in the last days across the European continent led to the setting up (or proposal of setting up) of very strong measures by several EU MS at the EU level in view to contain the risk of transmission. The most visible examples of such policy are the travel bans imposed by several MS and the restoration of border controls (including with sanitary purposes) at internal and external borders of the EU. To reduce the impact of these measures on the EU internal market, the Commission has proposed on Monday 16 March to close the external borders of the EU for a duration for the time being of 30 days. The proposal targets first and foremost the movement of passengers at all external borders or the EU and should – in principle – not affect the transport and trade with the neighbouring countries.

The Western Balkan partners have, in the meantime, also taken some restrictive – and often uncoordinated –  measures for travel and transport of goods which combined with the ones taken by EU MS are increasing the congestion at some border-crossings, with long queues and long delays to pass the border, with potentially adverse effect on the sanitary situation but also on the supply of essential goods.

As this sanitary emergency will last for a certain time, beyond the consequences in terms of loss of human lives, the overall economy of the continent and its trade component might be heavily affected. Western Balkan regional partners have expressed their fear that there could
be a disruption of cargo traffic which could lead to shortage of essential goods affecting the life of millions of citizens in the region.

• Zajednički prijedlog Stalnog sekretarijata Transportne zajednice i Sekretarijata CEFTA-e u cilju olakšavanja transporta i trgovine osnovnim proizvodima unutar Zapadnog Balkana  ensuring

• Joint proposal prepared by the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community and the CEFTA Secretariat to facilitate the transport and trade of essential goods within the Western Balkans

Source : Gov. me