“Transport visa-free regime” between Ukraine and the EU extended until the end of 2025
10 April 15:21
The European Union has extended the “transport visa-free regime” for Ukraine from June to the end of 2025.
Thus, Ukrainian road carriers will no longer need special permits.
This was announced by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
Shmyhal noted that this is the fourth extension of the agreement on “transport visa-free travel”. Last year, it was agreed that the agreement would be extended until the end of June 2025. Ukraine wants to make it indefinite.
“Ukrainian exports by road to the EU increased by 42%, imports by road to Ukraine by 37%. “Transport visa-free travel is part of Ukraine’s sectoral integration into Europe and a prerequisite for our membership in the European Union,” he wrote.
What is the “transport visa-free regime”?
In June 2022, Ukraine signed an agreement with the EU on freight transportation by road, also known as the “transport visa-free regime”.
the “Solidarity Roads” between Ukraine and the EU were created as an alternative to the Black Sea ports blocked by Russia. The agreement allowed for the transportation of vital goods to Ukraine, such as fuel and humanitarian aid, while helping Ukrainian goods, such as grain, ore, steel, and related products, reach the EU and the rest of the world.
In practice, the agreement meant that the EU would recognize Ukrainian driver’s licenses and Ukrainian carriers would no longer need permits to enter the bloc. This problem had previously hampered Ukraine’s export opportunities.
Together with the elimination of duties and tariffs on Ukrainian goods, the agreement has saved Ukrainian businesses tens of millions of dollars and opened up new opportunities for Ukrainian products in European markets.
