EU Council to discuss Polish-Ukrainian border protests

The situation regarding the closure of border crossings on Poland's border with Ukraine will be discussed by the EU Council at the level of transport ministers. Source: This was reported by RMF FM, writes European Pravda Details: The agenda for the EU Transport Council meeting includes changes to the eCherha (eQueue) system, extra lanes at crossings for empty trucks returning to the EU, and the subject of protests on the Polish-Ukrainian border.

Those topics will be covered at the end of the meeting scheduled for next Monday.

eCherha is a free service available in an open mode for carriers registered in the Shliakh system. The latter allows male drivers or volunteers to legally cross the border under martial law. Quote: "The issue of protest of Polish hauliers will be raised at the end of the meeting of EU transport ministers next Monday," the EU diplomat said.

Poland brought up the subject as one of the "miscellaneous issues" that any nation may bring up at the conclusion of a meeting of the transport council. In addition to Poland, Hungary and Slovakia also want to address the council. "We expect the delegations of these three countries to present the situation and inform the council about the impact of the EU agreement with Ukraine on transport," the EU diplomat said.

If the issue is not resolved by Monday, it is possible that the European Commission, which is involved in negotiations between hauliers, the Polish authorities and the Ukrainian side, will also speak on the issue. The European Commission's source with the RMF FM journalist confirmed that it is not possible for permits for Ukrainian carriers to be returned because doing so would be against EU law. Rather, the EC demands that Ukraine establish more lanes for empty trucks that are returning from Ukraine.

The EC spokesperson stated that the authorities in Kyiv "have made several improvements" in regard to the Ukrainian eCherha system, which Polish hauliers fiercely criticise for flaws and seek to cancel. Furthermore, "these changes must address" the concerns raised by the protesters, he continued. A protest rally by Polish hauliers began on 6 November and still persists at three border checkpoints between Poland and Ukraine, letting only a handful of trucks pass in an hour.

The blockade of Medyka-Shehyni, another checkpoint, started last week. On 27 November, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Poland stated that it had turned to Ukraine with a proposal which may lift the blockade of the Polish-Ukrainian border by the Polish hauliers. The leader of the Civic Platform political party Donald Tusk accused the Polish government of inaction with the blockade of border crossings on the border with Ukraine.

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