Following the blockades at the border between the EU and Ukraine, the European Parliament debated the agreement on solidarity lanes during its plenary session on Thursday 14 December. While some elected representatives support the agreement in solidarity with Ukraine, others are calling for some of its provisions to be amended in response to the concerns of EU hauliers and farmers.
Since 6 November, Polish road hauliers have been demonstrating at the border with Ukraine to protest against the agreement with the EU candidate country, which exempts Ukrainian hauliers from the obligation to hold the permits normally required for non-EU road hauliers (see EUROPE 13312/5).
For the three Lithuanian MEPs, Andrius Kubilius (EPP), Juozas Olekas (S&D) and Petras Auštrevičius (Renew Europe), there is no question of calling the agreement into question. “Any kind of blockage of border crossing roads and of solidarity lanes to Ukraine is totally unacceptable and unjustifiable”, argued the first one. In his view, “the blockage is detrimental to Ukraine’s economy and its capability to defend itself”.
“These blockades only benefit Russia,” said Mr Olekas. The Presidency of the EU Council, represented by Pascual Ignacio Navarro Ríos, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union, takes the same position: “The operation of these solidarity lanes is of fundamental importance in supporting Ukraine’s war effort against Russian aggression”.
Several MEPs, mostly from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries, nevertheless called for solutions. “Polish hauliers, as well as their Hungarian, Slovakian, Romanian counterparts, are complaining about the discrimination they are facing from the Ukrainian authorities”, stressed Kosma Złotowski (ECR, Polish).
He also referred to the illegal presence of Ukrainian hauliers on the European market who do not comply with the provisions of the mobility package, which constitutes “unfair competition”. “We want the European Commission to listen to hauliers’ grievances and examine the impact of this agreement on the transport sector before extending it for another year”, he pleaded.
Michaela Šojdrová (EPP, Czech) pointed out that this situation is driving down cereal prices, to the detriment of European farmers. Maria Grapini (S&D, Romanian) mentioned the differences between European and Ukrainian plant health security rules. Several MEPs have called for better controls on food products arriving in the EU.
“Our priority now is to work constructively with all parties to make sure the action plan is effectively implemented”, replied Helena Dalli, European Commissioner for Equality. “Efforts must focus on increasing capacity at the European border”, she concluded. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)