Polish carriers are preparing a protest at the border with Ukraine: they complain about competition
Polish carriers have announced a new protest on the road to the "Yagodyn-Dorohusk" checkpoint. This was announced by the Committee for the Protection of Transport Carriers and Employers of Poland and its representative Rafal Mekler.
The protest, which is scheduled to begin on May 12, 2025, is directed against "unfair competition" from Ukrainian transport companies.
"It is planned that it [ed. – protest] will begin on May 12, 2025, and we expect the case to go to court" , – said Mekler.
According to him, Ukrainian carriers are "crowding out" Polish companies from the market with cheaper fares, particularly on routes between Poland and the EU, as well as within the European Union.
He also accused the Ukrainian side of delaying Polish trucks on Ukrainian territory through the eQueue system.
He also criticized the European Union for inaction, saying that European officials are dismissive of the problems of Polish business.
"When representatives of the European Union laughed at us, explaining that "the decline of certain industries is normal for the economy," or that "there is a war in Ukraine," (...) I promised myself that no Brussels technocrat would destroy Polish companies at the hands of Ukrainians." , – said Mekler.
He noted that the action aims to protect jobs and Polish companies in difficult economic conditions. Mekler also thanked the human rights defenders from the Independence March Association for their legal support.
The Committee for the Protection of Transport Carriers and Employers of Poland previously noted that Ukrainian drivers are entering Poland en masse with empty trucks, and already in the country they are taking orders for the transportation of goods from border regions – the Lublin and Podkarpacie voivodeships.
Polish carriers claim that they are losing their jobs because Ukrainian companies can offer lower prices by not paying taxes and fees that are mandatory for Polish companies.
- On February 27, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Maternova stated that agriculture could complicate the process of Ukraine's integration into the European Union, because a developed Ukrainian agricultural sector could pose a threat to European countries.