Polish Minister of Infrastructure Andrzej Adamczyk
appealed to his Ukrainian counterpart with a request to exclude the requirement to
registration in the electronic queue for vehicles returning from Ukraine
to the EU without cargo at at least two border crossings. This was reported
on Monday by the Ministry of Infrastructure of Poland, UNN reports with reference to
RAP.
Details
The Polish ministry said that Adamczyk
sent a letter to the Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine, Minister of
for the Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kubrakov, in
in connection with the protest of Polish carriers in front of the automobile
border crossing points between Poland and Ukraine.
As it was emphasized, one of the reasons for the
protest of Polish transport entrepreneurs is the introduction by the Ukrainian
of the so-called electronic queue system by the Ukrainian side.
"This has led to a significant increase in the time
waiting time for EU-registered vehicles returning from Ukraine without cargo.
Ukraine without cargo to cross the EU-Ukraine border. This, in turn,
makes it impossible to fulfill further orders and reduces
the competitiveness of companies. In addition, according to the protesters, the new
system allows for unequal treatment of Ukrainian and Polish
carriers," the agency said.
The ministry added that the head of the
of the Ministry of Infrastructure "called for urgent measures to fulfill the requirements of
of Polish road carriers, which is the responsibility of the Ukrainian side". As
explained, this is done in order to eliminate the requirement to register in the
electronic queue for vehicles returning from Ukraine to the EU,
having previously unloaded at at least two border crossings: Zosin-Ustyluh
and Nyzhankovychi-Malchovice.
The agency added that the protesting carriers
protesting, mainly demanding the restoration of permits for international
transportation, which were canceled in accordance with the agreement between the European Union and
Ukraine on July 1, 2022. In this regard, Andrzej Adamczyk appealed to
EU Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean with a request to create a joint
committee to analyze the impact of the agreement on the EU road transportation market.
"This is an action envisaged by Article 7 of the
Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, and such a committee may include representatives of the
of the parties to this agreement. Member states, including Poland, have only an observer role in such a committee.
only have an observer role in such a committee. In his address to Commissioner Valean, Minister Adamczyk
pointed out, in particular, the problems associated with compliance with the agreement by Ukrainian
carriers, as well as a number of violations by Ukrainian carriers,
identified by the Polish Road Transport Inspectorate," the statement said.
the report says.
Minister Adamczyk also asked the European Commissioner and
and the President of the European Commission to support his appeal to the Ukrainian government to terminate the
the electronic queue system.
"The above actions are a continuation of the efforts of the
of the Ministry of Infrastructure since the beginning of the protest, aimed at eliminating its
the causes of the protest, which lie both on the side of Ukraine and the European Union.
Preparations are underway for the EU Transport Council meeting to be held on December 4
2023 in Brussels. A proposal is being prepared to make one of the main topics of discussion
of the main topics of discussion is to discuss the consequences of this agreement. According to the Ministry of
of Infrastructure of Poland, there is a need for the EU authorities to assess the effects
that have arisen as a result of the implementation of the agreement between Ukraine and the EU, as well as changes to
its content, which are necessary to maintain the stability of the transport market in
individual countries of the community," the agency noted.
As a reminder, since November 6, Polish carriers have been protesting at the border crossings with Ukraine, allowing several cars to pass through
several cars per hour.
The protesters demand, among other things,
the introduction of commercial permits for Ukrainian companies to transport
cargo, except for humanitarian aid and supplies for the Ukrainian army; suspension of licenses for companies established after the
army; suspension of licenses for companies that were established after the start of the
of the war in Ukraine and their verification. There is also a demand to cancel the so-called
electronic queue on the Ukrainian side.
The protests of Polish carriers
were supported by some farmers and the Confederation political party. Farmers
have been blocking the border crossing in Medyka in Prykarpattia since November 23. З
Monday, the blockade is to become round-the-clock, and the farmers intend to protest until
January 3, 2024.