JOINT STATEMENT signed by 14 road transport associations from Eastern and Western Europe

                                                         JOINT STATEMENT 

Undersigned road transport associations from Eastern and Western Europe, following up on
previous discussions and information exchanges with representatives of EU leadership and
national governments, reiterate that protection of EU internal market should be considered as
priority and institutional responsibility of European and na/onal authori/es.

Support to Ukraine is a commitment, which we strive to comply with. Nevertheless, we
consider measures taken by EU particularly in area of road freight transport as suboptimal and
threatening to EU internal market and its resiliency. Similarly, as in agricultural sphere,
measures adopted by EU went beyond its original inten/ons and aside of benefits are causing
significant harms internally.

We would like to remind that facts clearly show that the set liberal conditions for market access
for Ukrainian carriers need to be revised. 46% of empty entering trucks, their 40-day stay on
EU territory and an increase in the number of Ukrainian carriers with access to the EU market
by 8,000 are clear signs of overuse of the set rules. In addi/on, we must not overlook the
importance for Ukrainian carriers of access to the ECMT mul/lateral license quota (475 ECMT
basic licenses, equivalent to 5,550 annual licenses), which enables legally established carriers
to provide transport services that are different from and complementary to those covered by
bilateral quotas.

Therefore, we urge EU Council to accept voice of its corporate ci/zens and adjust EU-Ukraine
Agreement on Road Transport in a way, that EU single internal market remains protected, and
rules are properly enforced. We truly believe, this can be done without compromising our help
to Ukraine. System of quotas is well known and implemented among countries, tested over
decades, understood widely, and fine-tuned over time. Ukraine necessities for increased
volume of road transport for their export and import can be achieved by increasing volumes
of bilateral quotas, to any reasonable and justified levels.

On February 26, 2024

Signatories, in associaton's name alphabetical order:

Georgi Petarneychev, President AEBTRI, Bulgaria
Olivier GROLLEAU, President AFTRI, France
Ana Monteiro Souta, General Manager ANTRAM, Portugal
Josef Melzer, President ČESMAD Bohemia, Czech Republic
Pavol Piešťanský, President ČESMAD Slovakia, Slovak Republic
Erik Østergaard, CEO DTL, Denmark
Stefan Schou, CEO ITD, Denmark
Zsolt Barna, President MKFE, Hungary
⁠Torsten Laksafoss Holbek, CEO, NLA Nordic Logis/cs Associa/on
⁠Jan-Terje Mentzoni, ac/ng CEO of NLF, Norway
Apostolos Kenanidis, President OFAE, Greece
⁠Ulric Langberg, ac/ng CEO of SA, Sweden
Anssi Kujala, CEO SKAL, Finland
Jan Buczek, President ZMPD, Poland