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Polish carriers threaten to block another border crossing with Ukraine

Polish carriers threaten to block another border crossing with Ukraine Image: Polish transporters threaten to block another border crossing with Ukraine (Getty Images)

Representatives of Polish carriers have announced their intention to block another border crossing point with Ukraine, Medyka-Shehyni. The blockade is planned to start on Monday, November 20, informs Barron's.

One of the organizers of the protest, Tomasz Borkowski, said that they would expand the blockade to the Medyka crossing point starting Monday.

According to him, carriers are "not happy at the speed" of the negotiations between the governments of Poland and Ukraine and are expecting a new stage.

Blockade by Polish carriers

On November 6, Polish carriers began blocking three border crossing points with Ukraine.

They stated that they could unblock the checkpoints only on the condition of:

  • Returning permits for Ukrainian carriers

  • Strengthening the requirements for transportation within the framework of the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR)

  • Prohibiting the registration of companies with non-EU capital in Poland

  • Access to the Ukrainian Shlyah system

  • Separate queues for trucks from the EU in the Queue system

  • Allocating separate queues for empty trucks

On November 16, Polish carriers rejected the joint proposals of the European Commission, Ukraine, and Poland and refused to stop blocking the border with Ukraine. Their main demand is a return to the permit system for Ukraine.

The European Commission, however, may initiate a punitive procedure against Poland if the government does not resolve the issue of blocking the border crossing points by carriers.