Permit-free entry to EU for Ukrainian cargo extended till year-end, Kyiv says

A freight liberalisation agreement allowing Ukrainian cargo to enter the EU without a transport permit has been extended until the end of the year, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.

The agreement, signed in 2022, cancels the requirement for Ukrainian carriers to obtain permits for bilateral and transit transport to the EU and avoids exports of Ukrainian products having to stop at road checkpoints.

The arrangement is critical in a situation where Ukrainian Black Sea ports, key to imports and exports, have been blocked since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

However, the sharp increase in traffic across Ukraine's borders with the EU has caused protests from hauliers in neighbouring countries.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said the extension was important news for Ukraine's economy and its exporters. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal also welcomed the development.

"This is the fourth extension of the Agreement, which proves its effectiveness and efficiency," he wrote on X.