Ukraine and the European Union signed a special agreement on transport liberalization on June 29. The Agreement eliminates the need for Ukrainian carriers to obtain appropriate permits for bilateral and transit traffic to EU countries and avoids stopping the export of Ukrainian products through road checkpoints. It also provides for measures to facilitate the recognition of driver’s licenses. From now on, Ukraine and the EU exempt holders of driver’s licenses issued by one of the parties from the requirement to have an international driver’s license. The term of the Agreement is one year with the possibility of prolongation and it enters into force today. The Agreement will take effect permanently after all ratification procedures. Negotiations on the conclusion of this agreement began last fall, but taking into account the difficult logistical situation in Ukraine, caused by the blockade of sea ports and damage to the transport infrastructure, the EU has significantly accelerated the agreement negotiation process.
Since the Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and the EU in 2016, trade with the European Union has almost doubled, and road transport gas increased by 42%. Meanwhile, the number of permits for international transportation to individual EU countries did not increase or even decrease. Every year, this led to significant losses for both Ukrainian carriers and the country’s economy. This is the third “visa-free” for Ukraine from the EU after aviation and energy ones. Even despite the war and Russia’s attempts to stop the movement of Ukraine towards Europe, Ukraine’s integration into the European internal market is advancing rapidly. Signing this Agreement further removes barriers to trade with EU countries, improves logistics, price and speed of transportation for Ukrainian entrepreneurs.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube .
