As Serbia is not a member of the European Union, longer border waiting times are a persistent issue, particularly affecting truck drivers.
Estimates suggest that border delays cost the Western Balkans €300 million annually. Serbia alone has lost €163 million in paperwork-related inefficiencies at border crossings over the past five years.
The Solution: Green Corridors
The answer lies in Green Corridors or Green Lanes. These initiatives aim to speed up border crossings for trucks and substantially reduce long queues by improving procedures and investing in border crossing infrastructure.
Given that trade between Serbia and its primary trading partner, the EU, amounted to €40 billion last year—representing 60% of Serbia’s total foreign trade—this could lead to significant cost savings, ultimately benefiting consumers.
Benefits of Green Corridors
In Serbia, the Green Corridor initiative is active at border crossings including Sremska Rača, Gostun, Merdare, and Preševo.
This joint initiative, led by CEFTA member chambers of commerce, facilitates faster and simpler goods movement, reducing costs and increasing the competitiveness of regional companies. The term "green" also aligns with sustainable development goals. A growing economy leads to more trade, and more trade requires efficient transport. Digitalising transport and modernising border crossings are essential for success.
Reducing waiting times at border crossings directly impacts energy consumption, while transitioning to a digital format for goods documentation reduces (or eliminates) paper usage. Currently, an estimated 27 million hours are spent waiting at border crossings annually.
Origins and Long-Term Impact
Green Corridors emerged as a necessary solution during the Western Balkan lockdowns of the pandemic. Since then, they have proven to be a blueprint for organising freight traffic more effectively, according to RTS.
The aim is to accelerate goods transit and customs clearance at border crossings. Complementing this effort is the CEFTA SEED electronic platform, which speeds up customs operations. Achievements to date include:
- Average waiting times at all CEFTA border crossings last year were reduced to 86 minutes, seven minutes less than in 2022.
- Over 1.4 million truck crossings occurred, amounting to a total reduction of waiting time equivalent to nearly 19 years, according to the CEFTA Secretariat.
To Ease Trade and Transport in the Region: Special Regime Introduced to Reduce Truck Delays
A special regime has been introduced at several border crossings to facilitate the flow of goods and reduce truck delays, accelerating legal and health procedures for goods transport.
At Milšped Group, one of the leading transport and logistics companies in the region, staff remain in constant contact with truck drivers and have observed the impact of Green Corridors.
"First and foremost, it’s about reducing costs and speeding up the delivery of goods to specific locations. This primarily benefits the end consumer, who is the focus of our operations. Through Green Corridors, mutual recognition of certificates and laboratory analyses simplifies the process, accelerates it, and reduces costs within the logistics chain—ultimately lowering prices for end consumers," said Branko Todorović from Milšped in an interview with RTS.
Why Speeding Up Trade Is Essential
The reasons for expediting trade flow are more than evident. However, expanding Green Corridors requires infrastructure investment.
"The largest border crossings on motorways generally have enough space and sufficient lanes for traffic. The problem lies with smaller border crossings that lack the necessary infrastructure to implement Green Corridors," Todorović added.
The first Green Corridors were introduced at the Sremska Rača, Preševo, Gostun border crossings, and the administrative crossing at Merdare. Their success has drawn interest from EU members, including Croatia, Italy, and Greece, which are now joining the initiative.
This aligns with the goals of the Western Balkans Growth Plan, aimed at enhancing regional economic cooperation. One of its main advantages will be Serbia’s integration into the EU single market.
For example, sending €200 from Serbia to Germany currently incurs an additional fee of €43. With SEPA, this fee could drop to just €2.