Ukraine and the European Commission extended the agreement on the liberalization of cargo transport, allowing Ukrainian goods to enter the EU without a permit for another year, the Prime Minister of Ukraine said on Thursday, quoted by "Reuters".
Dennis Schmigal wrote in a post on social media platform X that the agreement provides for an automatic extension until the end of 2025.
"This is an important step towards integrating Ukraine into the EU zone, increasing Ukrainian exports and European imports, strengthening the economy and stability," Shmigal said on the X social platform.
Ukraine and the European Union signed a free regime agreement on June 29, 2022 and renewed the agreement every year.
The agreement repeals the requirement for Ukrainian carriers to obtain relevant permits for bilateral and transit transport to the EU and avoids the suspension of exports of Ukrainian products through road checkpoints.
The regime was critical in a situation where Ukraine's Black Sea ports, key for imports and exports, were blocked after the Russian invasion in February 2022.
However, a sharp increase in traffic across Ukraine's borders with the EU has sparked protests from carriers in neighboring countries, including Poland, France, Germany, Spain, Greece and Italy, who have complained about low prices and high costs, cheap imports and restrictions from the EU's Green Deal initiative on climate change.
The protest initially affected three points, but was later expanded to four.
The blockade collapsed food exports from Ukraine, and Ukrainian truck drivers lost their lives.