The Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure (MinDevelopment) of Ukraine has addressed the Ministries of Finance and Infrastructure of Poland and the European Commission regarding the increasing complaints from Ukrainian carriers about unjustified fines imposed on them under the SENT/RMPD travel registration system, which will be implemented starting November 1, 2024, in Poland.
"We expect a response and the implementation of measures. We have also initiated a meeting with our Polish colleagues to discuss these issues in detail," – wrote Deputy Minister of MinDevelopment Sergey Derkach on Facebook.
He specified that Poland has legally mandated the registration of third-country carriers in the SENT/RMPD system during their travels within its territory starting November 1, 2024, and Ukrainian carriers are diligently adhering to these new regulations.
"Currently, as reported by carriers, fines are imposed for minor technical errors, such as missing punctuation marks. Sanctions are also applied for the absence of a GPS signal over a distance of a few hundred meters. The fines can reach a maximum of 12,000 zlotys, which is about 120,000 UAH," – outlined the essence of the problem the Deputy Minister.
He reminded that the primary stated goal of implementing the SENT/RMPD system is to prevent cabotage transport, and these so-called "violations" do not hinder that objective in any way.
"The issue pertains to the proper functioning of the system itself, the need for support services, and a clear relationship between the violation and the penalty applied," – noted Derkach.
The Deputy Minister advised Ukrainian carriers to report any fines they believe to be unjustified by the Polish authorities.
According to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, in 2024, the number of vehicles crossing the customs border of Ukraine has decreased at all borders: the least reduction was with Moldova – by 3.4%, down to 1.44 million, with Poland – by 7.3%, down to 4.32 million, with Romania – by 7.4%, down to 1.51 million, with Slovakia – by 8.7%, down to 0.84 million, and with Hungary – by 10%, down to 0.90 million.