On June 29, 2022, the Agreement between the European and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road entered into force. Its other name is "transport visa-free regime", OKNA.ua clarifies.
The need for such an agreement arose because of russia's war against Ukraine. Since Ukrainian airspace was closed for civilian traffic, and maritime exports were limited, it was necessary to increase exports and imports by road.
Given the extraordinary circumstances, the agreement was applied from the moment of its signing. But, the consent of the European Parliament was required. On November 10, 2022, the Parliament gave the green light to simplify the cross-border transport of goods.
To recap, the adopted agreements allow carriers of Ukraine, Moldova, and the EU to transit through each other's territory and work without appropriate permits. These are valid for one year with the possibility of an extension.
Also, the EU-Ukraine agreement recognizes Ukrainian driving licenses. Ukrainian drivers do not need to get international ones.
After approval by the European Parliament, the agreement needs formal approval by the EU Council.