Polish PM Urges EU to End Ukraine Transport Waiver

Poland's prime minister on Monday, Dec. 4, urged the European Union to reinstate entry permits for Ukrainian trucks, weeks into a protest by Polish hauliers over what they call unfair competition from the war-torn country.

Poland's hauliers have been blocking Ukrainian trucks at border crossing points for the past month over the EU's decision to waiver the entry system following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.

The waiver was meant to expire in June but was extended for another year.

"We are very firmly and unequivocally calling for the reinstatement of the transport permit system for Ukrainian trucks," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters.

"This system was in place until spring 2022 and it worked well. It was then modified by the European Commission and today, the hauliers are blocking the border," he said.

The blockade has led to endless queues at the border and constitutes a major economic problem for Ukraine, which relies heavily on routes through Poland for its exports and imports.

The protesters say their revenues have dropped because of the permit waiver, which Brussels and Kyiv have said should stay in place.

Following several rounds of talks, the two countries and protesting lorry drivers reached an agreement over the weekend in a first step towards a de-escalation of the border blockage.

The Dolhobyczow-Ugryniv crossing, which previously served only cars and buses, was opened Monday for empty trucks travelling from Ukraine to Poland.

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