European Commission tightens requirements for Ukrainian carriers under road transport accord

MOSCOW. June 21 (Interfax) - Amendments tightening requirements for Ukrainian carriers have been added to the EU-Ukraine agreement on the carriage of freight by road, a document that allows Ukrainian cargo permit-free entry to the European Union.

The European Commission said in a statement on Thursday that the road transport agreement had been extended until June 30, 2025, with tacit renewal for another period of six months.

At the same time, "to enhance implementation", a number of new provisions were added to the agreement.

Specifically, under the updated document, Ukrainian transport operators may be required to carry documents providing authorization for international carriage and compliance with the agreement, as well as documents certifying that unladen operations are directly linked to a transit or bilateral operation, as per the agreement.

The provisions also require enhanced compliance by road haulage operators with agreement obligations, in particular addressing fraud, forgery of driver documents, and traffic safety offenses, which could lead to the loss of rights to provide transport services specified in the agreement.

The European Commission also augmented the agreement with a so-called "safeguard clause allowing suspension of the agreement in specific geographical areas if a road transport market in this area experiences major disturbances attributable to the agreement."