Amending EU/Ukraine Agreement on the carriage of freight by road

The European Parliament adopted, by 488 votes to 137, with 34 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine amending the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road of 29 June 2022.

Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the agreement.

The Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road of 29 June 2022 has proven essential for Ukraine, supporting Ukrainian society and the economy by enabling road haulage operators from the Union and Ukraine to carry out freight transport operations to the Ukrainian territory and, through it, to the Union, and vice versa, thus also contributing to the functioning of the Solidarity Lanes for Ukraine. Its effects remain positive also for the European Union, in particular for the Union’s exports to Ukraine.

The conditions justifying the conclusion of the Agreement continue to prevail, in particular the important disruptions faced by the transport sector in Ukraine following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

To address several implementation challenges, the updated agreement requires drivers to be in possession of documents authorising them to carry out international transport. They must also display a sticker on their windshield certifying that their road transport operation falls within the scope of the agreement. A safeguard clause provides for the possibility of suspending the application of the agreement in a specific geographical area in the event of a major disruption to the local road transport market.

In order for both the Union and Ukraine to continue benefiting from the positive effects of the Agreement on facilitating road freight transport between and through Ukraine and the Union, and subject to the necessary amendments, the Agreement should be prolonged until 30 June 2025, with the possibility for a tacit renewal for one period of six months.