Protest leads to weeks of waiting: truck drivers block borders due to Ukrainian cheap competition

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The fate of the forwarders is the last item on the agenda. EU transport ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday 4 December 2023. Commission proposals on rest periods in occasional traffic and road safety, as well as a new driving license directive, have priority in the programme. The ongoing truck blockades in Poland and Slovakia are only discussed shortly before the end.

Meanwhile, dramas are taking place in the Eastern European border area. Since November 6, convoys of Polish tractors have been blocking the entry of Ukrainian truckers into the EU, as these orders are increasingly being snatched away from under their noses.

On November 23, 2023, Polish farmers joined the freight forwarders’ protest. They are also affected by Ukrainian competition, which offers grain at lower prices. According to the declaration of war, the farmers’ strike at the Medyka border crossing would continue non-stop until January 3, 2024.

Ukrainian long-distance drivers move to Hungary

A total of four Polish border crossings have been blocked. There are waiting times of up to two weeks. Long-haul drivers face freezing temperatures without food or shower facilities. The Association of Ukrainian Freight Forwarders reported that the damage to Ukrainian entrepreneurs had already amounted to more than 400 million euros at the end of November.

Similar scenes followed on December 1 at Slovakia’s only border crossing with Ukraine. A strike also applies here – for an indefinite period. As in Poland, only perishable food, military and humanitarian goods and animal transports are allowed. However, only four trucks are allowed to enter the country per hour.

The blockade causes transporters to switch to Hungary. The result: more than 1,000 trucks are stuck in traffic jams at the border crossing in Záhony. Some drivers have been waiting for days to get through, reports Hungarian news portal “Portfolio”.

The reason for the protests is the privileges that Ukrainian competitors have enjoyed since the Russian invasion. Before the invasion, Ukrainian truck drivers could only enter the country with a previously applied for EU permit. But Ukrainians have had free access to the EU’s internal market for almost two years. They not only transport goods to and from Ukraine, but also provide transport within Europe at dumping prices.

Cheap competition threatens employment in EU countries

The Slovak association UNAS is concerned. Low-cost competition threatens employment in the logistics sector. UNAS also criticizes the intimidation on the Ukrainian side. For example, truck drivers entering Ukraine are only allowed to leave the country after a stay of twelve days.

The demand of the delegations from Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in Brussels is clear: no more extra sausage for the $! The country is not a member of the EU and therefore Ukrainian transporters must continue to obtain transport permits.

The European Commission showed little understanding in advance for the Eastern European truck drivers and passed the responsibility on to the respective governments. Poland is not showing any goodwill, as EU Transport Commissioner Adina Valean (55) recently announced: “Polish authorities must enforce the law at the borders.” Ukraine is at war, and the EU cannot be held hostage by such blockades on its external borders.

Source: Blick