New border controls between Germany and Poland are significantly impacting the Brandenburg economy, particularly affecting the Tesla facility in Grünheide. This concern is highlighted in a joint letter from the Cottbus and East Brandenburg Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK) addressed to German Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
The letter, reported by “Handelsblatt”, asserts that the Polish border checks are “severely damaging the Brandenburg business location and having negative economic repercussions for our approximately 80,000 companies.
Major Brandenburg-based businesses, including Tesla, alongside numerous small and medium-sized enterprises, especially within the logistics sector, are experiencing severely compromised operational efficiency. The core issue is the disruption to the cross-border commuter flow, exacerbated by what the IHKs describe as a “counter-reaction” from the Polish government in response to the German border controls.
The chambers are issuing a stark warning regarding the potential consequences, predicting a loss of competitiveness, increased prices, delays in employee arrival at workplaces and disruptions to production and supply chains.
The IHKs are urging Minister Dobrindt to swiftly implement solutions for both commuters and the movement of goods. Proposals include the establishment of a second lane or “fast lane” on the A12 and A15 highways. They also suggest joint border patrols involving the German Federal Police and the Polish Border Guard, along with the issuance of transit passes to facilitate smoother border crossings.
The chambers emphasize that intra-European border controls should remain an absolute exception and actively avoided. They state that the unresolved challenges of German migration policy should not be offloaded onto a region stretching over 300 kilometers along the Oder River, from Cottbus to Schwedt.