Ukraine informs European Commission of Poland's restrictions on lorries crossing border

Serhii Derkach, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, said that Ukraine has informed the European Commission that Poland has suspended the passage of Ukrainian lorries without permits for international freight transport.

The deputy minister noted that Ukrainian hauliers do not need any permits for bilateral transport. The agreement on the liberalisation of freight transport between Ukraine and the EU entered into force on 20 June, but a transition period is in effect until 10 July, which allows hauliers to adapt to the new rules.

"This is known to the Polish side, first of all to the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure. The Polish side, like all other EU member states, was notified of the update of the agreement between Ukraine and the European Union through official channels. So far, this is a matter of internal communication on the Polish side only," he said.

He said that the Ukrainian side appealed to the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure regarding the situation, and Polish colleagues claimed they were trying to solve the problem with the Polish customs service.

"We have also informed the European Commission about the suspension of lorry traffic. The European Commission has already intervened in the situation for its part and is also trying to influence the solution of the problem," he added.

On 1 July, the State Customs Service of Ukraine reported that Poland had suspended the entry and exit of Ukrainian lorries that do not have international freight permits – permits or ECMT permits.

On 20 June, the EU extended the "transport visa-free regime" with Ukraine for another year with the possibility of its automatic extension until the end of 2025, but the agreement contains an update.