The 90% blockage of the Ukrainian border by Polish carriers has a political component, and every day of downtime costs Ukrainian carriers at least €300, the Association of International Motor Carriers says.
At the same time, if the Polish authorities do not resolve the border blocking issue, it will force the EC to initiate punitive proceedings against Poland. After all, the Polish authorities must ensure the flow of goods from Ukraine through the corridors of solidarity, particularly the free movement of trucks. The EC is considering whether this constitutes a violation by the Polish authorities of the EU regulation on the liberalization of trade with Ukraine (transport visa-free, which is valid until June 30, 2024).
However, negotiations are ongoing with all parties in the conflict. So far, the EC’s official position is that the restoration of the system of permits or quotas for road transport is not legally possible, as it is incompatible with the Agreement on road transport between Ukraine and the EU.
It is worth noting that this year, 11.5 million tons of goods were exported from Ukraine (61% through Poland), and 13.8 million tons of goods were imported (42%).