Ukraine and European Commission start negotiations on the extension of the “transport visa-free regime”

The Council of the European Union has approved a mandate for negotiations with Ukraine on the extension of the Agreement on the Liberalization of Freight Transport, the so-called “transport visa-free regime”.

According to the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, the European Commission may officially start negotiations on the extension of the Agreement on Liberalization of Freight Transport between Ukraine and the EU. The relevant mandate for the negotiations was approved by the EU Council at its meeting on April 29.

Currently, the European Commission proposes to extend the Agreement, i.e. the “transport visa-free regime,” for at least 12 months with the possibility of extending it for another six months. This means the possibility of performing permit-free bilateral transportation at least until June 2025 inclusive.

“We welcome the decision of the European Union to start formal negotiations on the extension of the Agreement. It is important for us to preserve the ability to carry out cargo transportation without permits, as this directly affects the ability to export Ukrainian goods, which means supporting our economy, and importing the necessary goods for our country,” said Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development.

He noted that the Ukrainian side had been working with the European Commission for the past six months to ensure that the decision to extend the Agreement was made on time – by the end of June.

“It is important that all amendments to the extended Agreement are clear, transparent and do not restrict the right of Ukrainian carriers to freely transport goods to and from Ukraine,” the minister added.

The official text for discussion will be sent to Ukraine in the near future.

Tags: Ukraine, EU, rail transportation