According to Serbian Economist, the European Commission is preparing decisions within the framework of the new EU visa strategy, which should alleviate some of the problems for carriers from the Western Balkan countries amid the ongoing blockades of freight terminals on the borders with the European Union.
Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Hena Virkkunen said that the EC is aware of the difficulties faced by transport operators in the region due to the application of Schengen rules and stressed that the Entry/Exit System (EES) does not introduce new requirements for short stays. EES) does not introduce new requirements for short-term stays. At the same time, she said, the European Commission is seeking “more flexibility without compromising security” and “is addressing this issue as part of its visa strategy.”
In recent days, truck drivers in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia have been blocking access to freight terminals on the EU border in protest against stricter enforcement of the 90-day stay rule within a 180-day period in the Schengen area, which, according to business estimates, leads to the detention and deportation of drivers and increases costs for carriers.
Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Marko Čadež previously stated that the blockades are estimated to have halted up to 93% of exports from the countries involved and caused daily losses of around €92 million, with companies incurring additional penalties for delivery disruptions.
The European Commission has indicated that the problem also affects other “highly mobile” professions, and solutions will be developed as part of a new visa strategy.
https://t.me/relocationrs/2196
Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania have agreed to prepare a joint application for European funding for a high-speed railway line along the “Western Axis” Athens-Thessaloniki-Sofia-Bucharest, according to the Bulgarian publication Sega.
According to the publication, the initiative was discussed at a meeting between representatives of the three countries and the European Commission in the context of the development of the North-South transport corridor, which is intended to connect the Baltic, Black and Aegean Seas. The meeting was hosted by Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadzhov.
Greek Transport Minister Konstantinos Kiranakis said that by 2027, it is planned to provide high-quality passenger rail service between Thessaloniki and Sofia, while the Bulgarian side recalled that rail service on this route was interrupted in 2017.
Karadzhov also noted that the countries intend to synchronize planning, design, and permitting procedures to avoid delays and bureaucratic obstacles. Among Bulgaria’s priorities, he highlighted the acceleration of the project for a new bridge across the Danube between Ruse and Giurgiu, as well as the preparation of projects for new bridges in the Nikopol-Turnu Măgurele and Silistra-Kelerashi areas; the restoration of ferry connections on the Danube, including the Ruse-Giurgiu line, was also mentioned.
According to Sega, Romanian Transport Ministry representative Ionut Cristian Savoiu named among Romania’s priorities the modernization of the existing Giurgiu-Ruse bridge, the construction of a new Danube bridge, and the development of road and rail lines, as well as improvements on the Vidin – Calafat – Craiova section for better connectivity with Ukraine and Moldova.
India and the European Union announced the conclusion of negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) following the summit in New Delhi.
According to the European Commission, trade liberalization will cover 99.3% for the EU and 96.6% for India (taking into account the partial liberalization of a number of items), with the EU eliminating tariffs on more than 90% of tariff lines and India on 86%.
The Indian side stated that the agreement provides access to the EU market for more than 99% of Indian exports in value terms, noting that the document will undergo legal review and final approval procedures.
According to EU profile materials, European agri-food exports will see a reduction in current high tariffs, including on alcoholic beverages—up to 30% for most wines, 40% for spirits, and 50% for beer. A number of Indian and industry sources also indicate that for certain categories, including passenger cars, tariffs may be reduced from 110% to 10% within an annual quota of up to 250,000 cars, and for premium wines – up to 20%.
EU-India trade in goods in 2024 amounted to around EUR 120 billion, with India being the EU’s ninth largest trading partner; for India, the EU is the largest trading partner in goods. The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry estimated bilateral trade in goods with the EU in the 2024-2025 financial year at $136.54 billion.
Source: https://expertsclub.eu/indiya-ta-yes-zavershyly-peregovory-shhodo-ugody-pro-zvt/
EU, FTA, INDIA, NEGOTIATIONS
A shipment of 76 emergency generators from EU strategic reserves arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday to restore power supply to Ukrainian settlements.
According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, this is immediate assistance from the EU for urgent needs and is part of the EU’s ongoing support for Ukraine’s energy security.
During a conversation with journalists, European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova noted that she was pleased to have the opportunity to “demonstrate the concrete assistance that the European Union is providing to Ukraine.”
“This is only a small part of the equipment that we are transferring to Ukraine. Another part is still at customs,” she said.
The ambassador explained that this is part of 447 generators previously announced by the European Commission due to extremely low temperatures in Ukraine in January. The total cost of these generators is EUR 3.7 million.
In general, more than 10,000 generators have already been transferred through the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In total, as Maternova noted, the EU has already provided EUR 190 billion in aid since the start of the full-scale invasion.
The Kryvyi Rih Mining and Metallurgical Plant PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (AMKR, Dnipropetrovsk region) has announced that it will be forced to shut down its blooming shop in the second quarter of 2026.
According to the company’s press release on Monday, this decision is not an easy one, but it is objectively dictated by the current economic and market conditions in which the company is operating in the context of a full-scale war.
The key factor that led to this step was the European Commission’s decision to introduce the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) for Ukrainian producers from January 1, 2026, without any exceptions or transition period. In effect, this means the loss of the European market for a significant portion of Ukrainian metallurgical products, which critically affects the production volumes and utilization of individual units.
It is noted that ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih has made significant efforts to reorient sales to the European Union market after the start of the full-scale war. In fact, this market was built from scratch in extremely difficult conditions. However, the introduction of CBAM without taking into account the military realities in Ukraine has nullified these efforts. In the absence of a stable European market, the company does not have sufficient orders to ensure the operation of the blooming mill both today and in the medium term.
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih is the largest producer of rolled steel in Ukraine. It specializes in the production of long products, in particular, rebar and wire rod. The company has a full production cycle, with production capacities designed for an annual output of over 6 million tons of steel, more than 5 million tons of rolled products, and over 5.5 million tons of pig iron.
ArcelorMittal owns Ukraine’s largest mining and metallurgical complex, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, and a number of small companies, including ArcelorMittal Beryslav.
The Kryvyi Rih Mining and Metallurgical Plant PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (AMKR, Dnipropetrovsk region) has announced that it will be forced to shut down its blooming shop in the second quarter of 2026.
According to the company’s press release on Monday, this decision is not an easy one, but it is objectively dictated by the current economic and market conditions in which the company is operating in the context of a full-scale war.
The key factor that led to this step was the European Commission’s decision to introduce the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) for Ukrainian producers from January 1, 2026, without any exceptions or transition period. In effect, this means the loss of the European market for a significant portion of Ukrainian metallurgical products, which critically affects the production volumes and utilization of individual units.
It is noted that ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih has made significant efforts to reorient sales to the European Union market after the start of the full-scale war. In fact, this market was built from scratch in extremely difficult conditions. However, the introduction of CBAM without taking into account the military realities in Ukraine has nullified these efforts. In the absence of a stable European market, the company does not have sufficient orders to ensure the operation of the blooming mill both today and in the medium term.
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih is the largest producer of rolled steel in Ukraine. It specializes in the production of long products, in particular, rebar and wire rod. The company has a full production cycle, with production capacities designed for an annual output of over 6 million tons of steel, more than 5 million tons of rolled products, and over 5.5 million tons of pig iron.
ArcelorMittal owns Ukraine’s largest mining and metallurgical complex, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, and a number of small companies, including ArcelorMittal Beryslav.
