Slovenia has notified Brussels that it will prolong temporary ID checks on its borders with Croatia and Hungary from 22 June until 21 December 2026, its sixth consecutive extension. The measures, justified on counter-terrorism and organised-crime grounds, coincide with parallel controls by Italy and Austria, effectively reinstating hard borders along popular overland routes used by British holidaymakers and lorry drivers heading to the Western Balkans. For UK logistics firms, the announcement means additional document inspections and possible delays for trucks transiting the “Balkan corridor” to Greece and Türkiye. Passenger motorists can also expect queues at crossings like Gruškovje, where wait times exceeded two hours during last year’s summer peak. Although the UK is outside Schengen, many operators run GB-plated vehicles under Community licences that rely on seamless intra-EU movement. Mobility managers should therefore plan alternative timetables and ensure drivers carry passports, residence permits and evidence of road-haulage rights. The European Commission has warned member states that successive six-month renewals must remain “exceptional”, but right-of-centre governments in Ljubljana and Rome show little appetite for lifting checks. Analysts predict further fragmentation of the Schengen zone, complicating post-Brexit supply-chain planning for UK businesses.
Source: Mr East
