Adina Valean, EU Commissioner for Transport, and Serhiy Derkach, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, signed a road transport agreement in Brussels on Thursday.
“Since the initial Agreement, Ukrainian road exports to the EU have surged significantly, adding over 300,000 tonnes of goods exported monthly. Simultaneously, Ukrainian imports from the EU have soared, with import value growing nearly threefold compared to export value, reaching an impressive €700 million per month. Extending this Agreement is a powerful expression of European solidarity. By reinforcing the agreement with robust safeguards and unwavering enforcement, we lay the foundation for enduring transport connections that strengthen Ukraine’s resilience.”
The road transport agreement between Ukraine and the EU has been extended until 30 June 2025, with the possibility of automatic extension for a further period of six months, unless one of the parties objects.
It would then have to demonstrate that there are serious distortions in the road freight transport markets or that the objectives of the agreement are no longer being achieved.
There were lengthy discussions in the EU Council of Ministers on the extension of the agreement with Ukraine. Poland, Hungary and Slovakia reported negative effects of the agreement – transport companies from these countries are increasingly pushed out of the market by cheaper Ukrainian competition.
The following precautions were therefore agreed in the updated agreement to avoid turbulence in the EU internal market:
- Require transport operators to carry documents proving authorisation for international carriage and compliance with the Agreement.
- Require documents certifying that unladen operations are directly linked to a transit or bilateral operation, as per the Agreement.
- Enhance compliance by road haulage operators with Agreement obligations, in particular addressing fraud, forgery of driver documents, and traffic safety offences, which could lead to the loss of rights to provide transport services specified in the Agreement.
- Introduce a safeguard clause allowing suspension of the Agreement in specific geographical areas if a road transport market in this area experiences major disturbances attributable to the Agreement.