Ukraine has informed the European Commission about Poland’s suspension of the passage of Ukrainian trucks without permits for international freight transportation.
Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Community, Territorial and Infrastructure Development Serhiy Derkach announced this on Facebook.
Derkach noted that Ukrainian transport carriers do not need any permits for bilateral transportation. The agreement on freight liberalization between Ukraine and the EU came into force on 20 June 2024, but there is a transitional period until 10 July that allows carriers to adapt to the new rules.
“The Polish side is aware of this, primarily the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure. Through official channels, the Polish side, like all other EU member states, was informed about the update of the agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. At the moment, this is a matter of internal communication on the Polish side,” Derkach said.
He said that the Ukrainian side had addressed the situation to the Ministry of Infrastructure of Poland, and Polish colleagues assured him that they were trying to resolve the problem with the Polish customs service.
“We have also informed the European Commission about the suspension of truck traffic. The commission has already intervened in the situation on its part and is also trying to exert its influence on the problem,” the deputy minister of Ukraine said.
Visa-free regime with the EU
On 20 June 2024, the European Union extended the transport visa-free regime with Ukraine for another year with the possibility of automatic extension until the end of 2025.
As a result, road freight transport from Ukraine to the EU and vice versa – from the EU to Ukraine – will no longer require special permits.
The updated agreement also provides for a number of mutual obligations regarding the availability of licenses for the transport and labeling of trucks.
Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, noted that over the year and a half of the relevant agreement, Ukraine had exported 48% more goods to the EU than in the same period before its signing. The Ukrainian government expects this positive trend to continue.
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