On September 16, the Association ZED initiated online meeting with representatives of Association of International Road Carriers of Ukraine (AsMAP), Ukrainian Business and Trade Association (UABT) and the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss Article 136 of the Association Agreement Ukraine - EU.
The article refers to the transport liberalization, mutual access to the market in accordance with the mutual commercial needs of the Parties with the subsequent conclusion of special agreements in the fields of road, rail and inland waterway transport. And before concluding such agreements, the parties do not impose conditions of mutual access to the market, which are more restrictive on the date of entry into force of the Agreement.
Today in Ukraine there are no special agreements in the field of road transport and with a certain frequency the conditions of mutual access to the market are deteriorating (note: the situation with Poland). The result is a reduction in opportunities to increase trade with EU countries.
During the meeting the following options were considered:
- to raise the issue of concluding a special agreement with the EU on transit road transport;
- insist the refusal to use the quota principle of exchange of permits;
- make the number of permits required for international road transport depend on the volume of trade growth;
- to set a precedent for signing an agreement on the principles of road transport liberalization with a country with which we have no disputes, and only then to resolve problematic issues with other countries.