Polish government asks Ukraine to scrap e-Queue system at three border crossings despite talks
Poland has asked the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine to extend the pilot abolition of the e-Queue project for empty vehicles at three checkpoints, Deputy Infrastructure Minister Serhiy Derkach said on Feb. 20, according to news agency Interfax-Ukraine.
The request concerns the checkpoints Nyzhankovychi-Malhowice, Uhryniv-Dołhobyczów, and Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne.
"We received a letter from our Polish colleagues from the Ministry of Infrastructure, who suggested that we cancel the e-Queue at the Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne checkpoint," said the official.
“We read it and realize that probably our last communication at the border (during a joint visit to the checkpoint - ed.) did not achieve its goal. After all, we explained that the electronic queue is very important for the country; we showed its results, it really works. And they seemed to agree.”
The letter contains a request to extend the pilot abolition of the e-Queue at Nyzhankovychi-Malhowice, Uhryniv-Dołhobyczów, Derkach said.
At the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint, freight traffic has stopped. Humanitarian and perishable goods and fuel are not allowed through. Empty trucks traveling for critical goods cannot leave Ukraine through this checkpoint. They are forced to wait in a 15-kilometer-long queue for empty vehicles at the Nyzhankovychi-Malhowice checkpoint.
Yahodyn-Dorohusk, Uhryniv-Dołhobyczów, Ustyluh-Zosin, Shehyni-Medyka, Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne, and Krakivets-Korczowa remain blocked for free truck traffic. There are 3,000 trucks in the queue in Poland.
Amid a nationwide strike called by Polish farmers, on Feb. 11, near the Dorohusk checkpoint on the border with Ukraine, Poles damaged Ukrainian trucks and poured grain out of them. At the same time, Poland announced its intention to check all grain in transit from Ukraine.
The agreement on the abolition of the e-Queue for empty vehicles at the Nyzhankovychi-Malhowice checkpoint was extended until March 1.
Polish farmers warned on Feb. 13 that on Feb. 20 they would block all checkpoints on the border with Ukraine, as well as communication hubs and entrances to transshipment railroad stations and seaports.
Media reported on Feb. 17 that farmers from four EU countries would join the protests on the Polish-Ukrainian border.
European countries had not joined the Polish grain protests as of Feb. 19.
Polish farmers blocked a passenger train from Ukraine on the same day, Feb. 19.
The protesting farmers who are blocking the largest checkpoints on the border with Ukraine have put forward many demands, among which are: the complete refusal of duty-free trade with Ukraine and the complete closure of the Ukrainian-Polish border for trucks.
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