According to the European Commission (EC), the restoration of the authorisation strategy for Ukrainian carriers proposed by Polish carriers is contrary to the applicable law. During the almost two-week protest of Polish carriers on the border with Ukraine, 1 of the main demands was to reconstruct the strategy of issuing transport permits for Ukrainian carriers, while limiting their number to levels prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or to 200 1000 per year. Under the Road Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine, it is not required to get bilateral and transit licences for Ukrainians.
However, the European Commission stresses that gathering this request would be contrary to the applicable law. The EC spokesperson, Adalbert Jahnz, stressed that "the restoration of the licensing strategy for Ukrainian carriers would be illegal." Nevertheless, the Commission wishes to support negotiations to find an agreement. However, at the same time, it does not intend to violate the provisions of the EU-Ukraine road agreement. The talks between the Polish and Ukrainian sides have not resulted, despite support for the request of Polish carriers to make separate lanes for empty trucks returning from Ukraine at border crossing points.
The European Commission besides raises the issue of unfair competition from Ukrainian carriers, but points out that the work for control belongs to Polish services. The Commission is afraid about the impact of the blockade on the economy of Ukraine and the sanitary conditions for drivers detained in queues, indicating shortcomings in access to toilets, hygiene measures and food.
Regardless, the European Commission is reluctant to look at the blockades of the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing points and suggests the anticipation to launch a criminal-legal procedure against Poland if the issue of the blockade is not resolved by the Polish authorities. Therefore, a petition has appeared on the authoritative website of the president of Ukraine, in which the authors request sanctions on those active in blocking Ukrainian carriers, including Confederate politicians. The gathering of the Polish, Ukrainian and EU sides ended in failure and the protest of Polish carriers, supported by farmers, will continue. Protesters besides plan to extend the blockade to another border crossing points.
For almost 2 weeks there has been a demonstration of carriers from Poland on access routes to key border crossings with Ukraine, including in Dorohusk and Hrebenn. On the last Tuesday, Rafał Mekler, 1 of the leaders of the protest and the head of the Confederacy in Lublin, announced that farmers from the Podkarpackie Fraud Organization had joined the protest. Transporters from various regions of Poland besides join the demonstration.
Earlier we informed about the decision of Ukrainians, who removed about half a 1000 Polish trucks from the electronic queue erstwhile they were waiting for their return to Poland. Carriers are subject to severe financial penalties of around EUR 5 000 if they do not leave Ukraine within a certain period of time.
As we have already mentioned, the Ukrainian authorities have powerfully stated that during the talks with Poland there is no area for renegotiation or cancellation of the transport liberalisation agreement. In addition, they state that the actions of Poles, consisting in blocking borders, harm not only Ukraine, but besides Poland and another EU countries.
The protest is straight linked to the liberalisation of global transport rules within the European Union. Transporters effort to draw attention to the situation in the transport sector in Poland and request the start of Polish-Ukrainian negotiations. In the event of an agreement being reached, they have declared their willingness to complete the border crossing point blockade.
Polish carriers call for the restoration of the transport authorisation strategy for Ukrainian carriers, while at the same time limiting their number to pre-Russian invasion of Ukraine, or to 200 000 per year. They besides request that the rules for the transport of the ECMT, the introduction of a separate electronic queue for vehicles registered in the EU and separate for empty trucks, which presently gotta wait 10 to 12 days. In addition, they request access to the Nobility (Road) system.
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The EC concluded that the request of Polish carriers to reconstruct the strategy of permits for Ukrainians would be illegal:
