How much are businesses losing from delayed Schengen accession through land borders?
On March 31, 2024, Bulgaria will officially join Schengen area, starting with lifting controls at air and sea borders. There is still no clarity on when it will also be possible to travel without checks at internal EU land borders.
What does business, and the transport sector in particular, lose from this?
Slavcho Gurguleev is a director of one of the largest grain trading companies in Southwest Bulgaria. The company owns more than 70 trucks that travel almost every day to neighbouring Greece and Romania. He says that every day the cargoes have to wait for checks for hours and sometimes days at border crossings and this leads to losses for everyone in the chain.
"The bureaucracy at our borders is huge at the moment. The documents are examined by at least 6 or 7 institutions, there are delays, which in turn creates conditions for corrupt actions. We supply raw materials in the sphere of food, i.e. we feed animals for fattening and mostly meat breeds, you know when we delay the delivery, the animals somewhere probably remain hungry", pointed out Slavcho Gurguleev, director of a company dealing with grain trade and transport services.
Delays at land borders due to various checks of documents also lead to an increase in the prices of goods, the Union of International Carriers is convinced.
"Around 95% of the entire trade of our country is by land. A simple example can be given with the so-called fast moving goods. They are most sensitive in respect of transit costs. The Bulgarian consumer pays between 15% and 18% more expensive goods than Western European consumers just for the simple reason that we have a waiting time at our borders," Nikolai Rashkov, Union of International Carriers, says
Truck drivers are among those mostly affected from the wait.
"I have a hard time because we are waiting here, we cannot meet deadlines, we are late for addresses. This all affects us and the companies. We get paid by km by the companies. You don't have mileage today … what does that company earn… it earns nothing. Especially in Bulgaria it is like this, Bulgaria and Romania. Why don't Bulgaria and Romania make some arrangements between them. What Schengen… they can get together and agree between each other, make some organisation and that's it!" said Krasimir Karagyozov, a truck driver.
The tourism industry defines Bulgaria’s entry into the Schengen area by air and sea as a step forward.
"Of course it will have a good impact because you know that in general all who travel, whether they are tourists or individually organised travelers, it is especially unpleasant when you have to wait at the border. It will be absolutely beneficial for the travellers," says Zdravka Chimeva, a tour operator.
In order to avoid long waits at land borders, tour operators continue to rely solely on good organisation by border authorities.
