Polish carriers have gone on strike at the border crossings with Ukraine. This has hampered truck traffic.
The State Border Service of Ukraine said that the blocking of truck traffic in the direction of the Yahodyn-Dorohusk, Krakivets-Korchova, and Rava-Ruska-Krebenne checkpoints began after 1 p.m. Traffic is likely to be hampered both when entering and leaving Poland.
"The organisers of the protest plan to let one truck per hour through, as well as trucks with security and humanitarian cargo, those transporting animals, perishable food, etc.", the State Border Service said in a statement.
Polish transporters have permission to strike until January.
The Polish carriers are unhappy with the competition following the liberalisation of international transport between Ukraine and the EU. They claimed that the strike could last for several months and affect all checkpoints. If their demands were met, they promised to end the strike. However, the Ministry of Regional Development said that most of the demands were unrealistic, including a return to the system of issuing permits for Ukrainian carriers to work in the EU. Deputy Minister Derkach also said that the agreement works in both directions: not only do Ukrainians travel to the EU without permits, but EU carriers also enter Ukraine without them, so it is impossible to cancel the agreement at the level of Poland alone, BBC Ukraine wrote. Derkach does not rule out that Polish carriers are trying to influence whether the agreement will be extended after its completion by striking.
The so-called transport visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU was approved last year. The agreement is valid until July 2024. Polish carriers believe that the agreement has led to excessive competition and are demanding that the obligation to obtain operating permits for Ukrainian transport firms be returned. Polish carriers also want to be allowed to avoid the electronic queue in Ukraine or to have a separate queue for empty vehicles.