(1)

By Decision No 2/2022 of the Joint Committee established by the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova on the carriage of freight by road of 15 December 2022 regarding the continuation of the Agreement [2024/604] (3), the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova on the carriage of freight by road (hereafter ‘the Agreement’) was extended to 30 June 2024.

(2)

As set out in Article 6(2) of the Agreement, the Joint Committee is to be convened at the latest three months before the expiry of the Agreement in order to assess and decide the need for the continuation of the Agreement, including its duration.

(3)

The monitoring of the Agreement has shown that it has provided benefits in terms of trade for both the European Union and the Republic of Moldova, and that the increase of road transport services has also been beneficial to road transport operators of both parties.

(4)

Together with a comparable road transport agreement signed with Ukraine, the Agreement has also significantly contributed to the export of Ukrainian goods to the European Union via the Solidarity Lanes.

(5)

The prolongation of the Agreement should be understood as also contributing to the reconstruction of Ukraine beyond Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

(6)

It is therefore appropriate to prolong the Agreement until 31 December 2025,