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Dispute at the border: Poland introduces controls – economy worried!
Poland will introduce border controls with Germany from July 4, 2025. The economy fears losses and delivery delays.
Dispute at the border: Poland introduces controls – economy worried!
In the current political situation, the economy on the German-Polish border is confronted with a new dilemma. From next Monday, July 8, 2025, Poland will introduce border controls on the border with Germany. These measures are a direct response to existing random checks that Germany has been carrying out since October 2023 to stop irregular migration. The Polish controls are initially scheduled until August 5, 2024 and are already raising concerns about financial losses for companies in Berlin and Brandenburg. How World reported, the stability of cross-border trade could be severely affected.
What does this mean for commuters? Around 14,000 Polish workers cross the border into Brandenburg every day. The new controls could not only affect their punctuality at work, but also significantly disrupt the flow of goods. Brandenburg's Interior Minister René Wilke is already warning of a possible traffic collapse, especially in the neighboring cities of Frankfurt (Oder) and Slubice, where one has to prepare for limited commuter and goods traffic.
The hoped-for positive aspects of the controls appear to exist - a higher police presence could reduce cross-border crime, as a study by Jasmin Gröschl from the Allianz Group suggests. However, the expected economic damage is significant. The German economy could lose over 100 million euros per year in trade with Poland. The close integration of the supply chains between the two countries reinforces these effects, as many companies are dependent on the timely delivery of materials and goods, as MDR shows.
The concerns of the logistics industry in particular
There is great uncertainty in the logistics industry. Frank Huster, General Manager of the Federal Association of Forwarding and Logistics, describes the current developments as a negative signal for freight transport. It is reminiscent of the long truck traffic jams and delivery bottlenecks during the corona pandemic, which brought many companies to the brink of ruin. In particular, the dilapidated infrastructure, in combination with the new controls, could lead to traffic chaos that would make the situation even worse, as Tagesschau reports.
It remains to be seen how quickly the authorities can adapt to these new challenges. The Brandenburg Chambers of Commerce and Industry are proposing passes for commuters, while the logistics association is calling for separate lanes for trucks to avoid major traffic jams. However, skepticism remains, especially when other European countries also introduce similar control measures.
Overall, it is clear that the new border controls are not just a question of security, but will also have far-reaching economic consequences for the region and beyond. The coming months could be particularly challenging for businesses on the border as they have to adapt to changes for which they are not responsible.