By KYIV. Nov 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The agreement on the liberalization of the carriage of freight by road was ratified by all members of the EU and signed between the EU and Ukraine, and not with separate countries, therefore, the demand of the Polish carriers to return the permit system for Ukraine are futile, Head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development Mustafa Nayyem has said on Tuesday.
“It is essential to safely declare and record two important theses. FIRSTLY, Ukraine does not event intend to discuss the return to the permit system,” he said on Facebook, commenting on a strike started on November 6 by Polish carriers who have blocked three checkpoints at the Ukrainian-Polish border – Yahodyn-Dorohusk, Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne, and Krakovets-Korczowa.
“SECONDLY, the main reason for signing the agreement on freight transportation was the violations of the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) Agreement. The war only accelerated this process which we are grateful for to all our neighbors and partners,” Nayyem said.
The DCFTA forbids to worsen the conditions of mutual access to the market, however, Poland granted Ukraine with a quota of 200,000 permits in 2016 and 120,000 permits in 2021, although an overall growth in trade with the EU countries was almost 45%, he said.
According to the head of the state agency, Poland also directly violated Ukraine’s rights, in particular, Article V Freedom of Transit of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which Ukraine joined on February 5, 2008, which provides for freedom of transit through the territory of each contracting party, via the routes most convenient for international transit.
“For example, in 2021 alone, due to a crisis with the Polish permits, we lost up to EUR 500 million only because we were simply out of permits and the Polish side refused to issue new ones. If you remember, the market was simply on halt then,” Nayyem said.
He emphasized that the permit system was an artificial barrier for free trade which restricted both bilateral trade and transit of Ukrainian goods through EU countries.
“And I really hope that we will never get back to this shameful and discriminating practice which restricted our trade with the EU,” the official said.
As reported, the Polish carriers also demand that empty Polish trucks returning from Ukraine to Poland be able to cross the border without using the eCherha system, without waiting 10-12 days. Another demand of the carriers is stricter transportation rules under the ECMT (certificate of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport).
