EU and Ukraine Sign “Transport Visa-Free”

Ukraine and the European Union signed a special agreement on transport liberalization on Wednesday, June 29, in Lyon, France.

The Agreement eliminates the need for Ukrainian carriers to obtain appropriate permits for bilateral and transit traffic to EU countries and avoids stopping the export of Ukrainian products through road checkpoints, reports the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine.

It also provides for measures to facilitate the recognition of driver’s licenses. From now on, Ukraine and the EU exempt holders of driver’s licenses issued by one of the parties from the requirement to have an international driver’s license.

The term of the Agreement is one year with the possibility of prolongation, and it enters into force today. The Agreement will take effect permanently after all ratification procedures.

Since the Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and the EU in 2016, trade with the European Union has almost doubled, and road transport gas increased by 42%.

Meanwhile, the number of permits for international transportation to individual EU countries did not increase or even decrease. Every year, this led to significant losses for both Ukrainian carriers and the country’s economy.

Tags: Ukraine, EU