Council Decision (EU) 2026/226 of 15 July 2025 on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine amending the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road of 29 June 2022
Date: 2025-07-15
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Ukraine, agreement (EU), carriage of goods, international road transport, ratification of an agreement, revision of an agreement




L_202600226EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2026/226


27.1.2026







            COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2026/226
         
of 15 July 2025
         
on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine amending the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road of 29 June 2022
         


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in particular Article 91, in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,


Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament,

Whereas:







(1)


By Decision (EU) 2022/1158 (1), the Council authorised the signature of the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road (2) (the ‘Agreement’). The Agreement has been provisionally applied since 29 June 2022, its conclusion was approved by Council Decision (EU) 2022/2435 (3) and by Decision No 2/2023 of the Joint Committee established by the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road (4), it was prolonged until 30 June 2024.












(2)


In accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2024/1876 (5), the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine amending the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road of 29 June 2022 (6) (the ‘amending Agreement’) was signed on 20 June 2024, subject to its conclusion at a later date. The amending Agreement has been provisionally applied since the day of its signature.












(3)


The Agreement has proven to be essential for Ukraine, supporting the Ukrainian society and economy by allowing Union and Ukrainian road haulage operators to carry out freight transport operations to and through the Ukrainian territory to the Union and vice-versa, thereby also supporting the Solidarity Lanes for Ukraine. Its effects remain positive also for the European Union, in particular for the Union’s exports to Ukraine.












(4)


The conditions justifying the conclusion of the Agreement continue to prevail, in particular the important disruptions faced by the transport sector in Ukraine following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.












(5)


In view of the exceptional and unique circumstances that necessitate the conclusion of the amending Agreement and in accordance with the Treaties, it is appropriate for the Union to exercise temporarily the relevant shared competence conferred upon it by the Treaties. Any effect of this Decision on the division of competences between the Union and the Member States should be strictly limited in time. The competence exercised by the Union on the basis of this Decision and of the Agreement should therefore be exercised only during the period of application of the Agreement. Accordingly, the shared competence thus exercised will cease to be exercised by the Union as soon as the Agreement ceases to apply. Without prejudice to other Union measures, and subject to compliance with those Union measures, that competence will, in accordance with Article 2(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), again be exercised by the Member States thereafter. Furthermore, it is recalled that, as set out in the Protocol on the exercise of shared competence annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the TFEU, the scope of the exercise of the competence of the Union in this Decision covers only those elements governed by this Decision and the Agreement, and does not cover the whole area. The exercise of Union competence by this Decision is without prejudice to the respective competences of the Union and of the Member States in relation to any ongoing or future negotiations for, or signature or conclusion of, international agreements with any other third country in that area.












(6)


At the Joint Committee meeting held on 18 December 2023, it was concluded that the Agreement fulfils its intended purpose and that the underlying conditions justifying the Agreement remain valid. However, the Parties also noted several issues arising from the application and implementation of the Agreement and its possible impact at local level on the road transport sector in the Union. Limited changes to the Agreement are therefore required to facilitate its enforcement and strengthen its implementation.












(7)


In order for both the Union and Ukraine to continue benefitting from the positive effects of the Agreement on facilitating road freight transport between and through Ukraine and the Union, and subject to the necessary amendments, the Agreement should be prolonged until 30 June 2025, with the possibility for a tacit renewal for one period of six months.












(8)


The amending Agreement should be approved.












(9)


In accordance with the Treaties, the Commission should make the notification provided for in Article 2(1) of the amending Agreement,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
The Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine amending the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road of 29 June 2022 (the ‘amending Agreement’) is hereby approved on behalf of the Union.


Article 2

1.   The exercise of Union competence pursuant to this Decision and the Agreement shall be limited to the period of application of the Agreement. Without prejudice to other Union measures, and subject to compliance with those Union measures, after the end of that period of application the Union shall immediately cease to exercise that competence and the Member States shall again exercise their competence in accordance with Article 2(2) TFEU.


2.   The exercise of Union competence pursuant to this Decision and the Agreement shall be without prejudice to the competence of the Member States concerning any ongoing or future negotiations for, or signature or conclusion of, international agreements related to the carriage of goods by road with any other third country, and with Ukraine with respect to the period after the Agreement has ceased to apply.


3.   The exercise of the competence by the Union referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article covers only the elements governed by this Decision and the Agreement.


4.   This Decision and the Agreement are without prejudice to the respective competences of the Union and the Member States in the area of carriage of goods by road, with regard to elements other than those governed by this Decision and the Agreement.



Article 3
The Commission shall proceed, on behalf of the Union, to make the notification provided for in Article 2(1) of the amending Agreement, in order to express the consent of the Union to be bound by the amending Agreement.


Article 4
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.




Done at Brussels, 15 July 2025.


For the Council


The President

K. KALLAS
            





(1)  Council Decision (EU) 2022/1158 of 27 June 2022 on the signing, on behalf of the Union, and provisional application of the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road (OJ L 179, 6.7.2022, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2022/1158/oj).

(2)  
            OJ L 179, 6.7.2022, p. 4, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2022/1158/oj.

(3)  Council Decision (EU) 2022/2435 of 5 December 2022 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road (OJ L 319, 13.12.2022, p. 5, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2022/2435/oj).

(4)  Decision No 2/2023 of the Joint Committee established by the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road of 16 March 2023 as regards the continuation of the Agreement (OJ L 123, 8.5.2023, p. 36, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2023/929/oj).

(5)  Council Decision (EU) 2024/1876 of 20 June 2024 on the signing, on behalf of the Union, and provisional application of the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine amending the Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on the carriage of freight by road of 29 June 2022 (OJ L, 2024/1876, 2.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2024/1876/oj).

(6)  
            OJ L, 2024/1878, 2.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2024/1878/oj.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/226/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)