The Ministry of the Interior of Croatia notes that there may be congestion at the border crossings from BiH to that country, but that the situation is expected to improve when the new border crossing near Gradiška is opened.
In response to “Independent” on the situation at the border crossings on the occasion of the start of the application of the EES, the new system for recording the crossing of Schengen borders for citizens of third countries, in the Public Relations Office of the Cabinet of the Minister of the Interior, they emphasize that Croatia is ready to welcome this novelty, the application of which began last Friday, but that increased traffic is possible.
Increased traffic
“Like every year, due to the increased influx of passengers in certain periods during the tourist season, increased traffic is expected at certain border crossings, which may affect the length of the wait. The Border Police of the Republic of Croatia plans for such situations in a timely manner and manages them through the increased engagement of police officers, adjusting the organization of work and the use of mobile devices for processing passengers, with the aim of ensuring the greatest possible flow of traffic and reducing delays at the border”, they add, noting that the flow will be even better when the conditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina are met. side to open a new border crossing.
Why is the crossing not open?
We would like to remind you that the crossing was not opened because Zijad Krnjić, a member of the Board of Directors of the BiH Indirect Taxation Administration, refused to support the amendment of the regulations that would enable the placement of customs officers at the new crossing.
Krnjić requested that the issue of distribution of income from indirect taxes between the entities be resolved first, claiming that no settlement has been made.
In the Republika Srpska, outraged
In Republika Srpska, they are outraged that, as they claim, decisions that benefit all citizens are being vetoed.
Goran Račić, president of the RS Chamber of Commerce, says that they filed a criminal complaint with the BiH Prosecutor’s Office, because the non-opening of the border crossing in Gradiška further complicates the situation in BiH.
The question of the entire economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Račić points out that this puts the status of drivers in a bad position and that it is an issue for the entire economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The economy of the FBiH is more threatened than the economy of the Republika Srpska, because the number of carriers in them is far greater than in Srpska,” Račić told RTRS.
Račić claims that border delays and crowds increase the cost of delivering goods.
“This makes transport and logistics more expensive. Our carriers want to be competitive, and just waiting at border crossings reduces their competitive effects. We see that both businessmen in FBiH and Srpska are threatened. A large number of businessmen have given us support. Most have even accepted to be witnesses in connection with the issue of criminal charges,” said Račić.
Račić says that they expect that due to the urgency of the situation, the criminal complaint will be considered as soon as possible.
Transport is not about politics
“There is no logical argument for not opening the Gradiška border crossing, because transport does not concern politics, but life, citizens and the economy,” said Račić.
Plan trips in advance
The MUP of Croatia also emphasized to us that they recommend citizens to plan their trips in advance and, whenever possible, use less busy border crossings and off-peak dates.
“We would like to point out that the official website of the Croatian Auto Club publishes regular and up-to-date information on traffic conditions and expected delays at border crossings,” they point out.
EES and ETIAS
By the way, the EES is the first step towards a complete change of the border regime, which includes full digital records of entries and exits from the Schengen area.
The second step involves ETIAS, an online application for crossing the border so that citizens can answer in advance the questions that are normally asked by police officers at the crossings themselves.
When that part of the system is in full use, we can expect faster border crossing, as citizens will announce their border crossing in advance, and at the crossings themselves, they will confirm their identity with biometric identification.
Asphalting of the third section of the road near Gradiška has begun
“Integral inženjering”, the contractor for the Gradiška expressway – Zagreb – Belgrade highway, has started asphalting on the third section of this road.
Although the first two sections have already been completed, they cannot be put into traffic, because BiH blocked the opening of the border crossing.
“Hrvatske ceste”, the investor of the road works, and the Ministry of Finance of Croatia, the investor for the construction of the border crossing on the Croatian side, have completed their work, and the total value of the works is several tens of millions of euros.
