Military mobility

The European Parliament adopted by 493 votes to 127, with 38 abstentions, a resolution on military mobility.

Context

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has drawn renewed attention to military mobility, highlighting the urgent need to facilitate the rapid cross-border movement of troops, equipment and assets throughout the EU to strengthen deterrence and defence. Russia poses a considerable threat to the security of the EU, and developing the capability for fast deployment of troops and military capabilities to the EU’s eastern flank is of the essence.

Military mobility in the EU significantly strengthens the security and resilience of the 27 Member States, including against increasing acts of sabotage against critical infrastructure and the rise of hybrid threats, provided that it is fully enabled to deliver its potential. However, significant efforts are needed to improve regional transport links and enhance the pan-European network, connecting EU countries from Finland and the Baltic States in the north to the Iberian Peninsula in the south.

Despite significant progress in recent years to enhance military mobility, considerable regulatory, administrative, and financial barriers, as well as bottlenecks and infrastructure obstacles remain. There is an urgent need to intensify coordinated and integrated efforts at EU, NATO and Member State levels to increase resources and address those physical, legal and regulatory barriers.

Changing geopolitical realities

Parliament welcomed the ambition of the EU and the Member States to substantially increase their defence readiness, reduce strategic dependencies, address capability gaps and strengthen the European defence technological and industrial base in the framework of relevant EU policies and the common security and defence policy (CSDP), and in the context of NATO. It underlined the strategic need for investments in all Member States along the four EU priority military mobility corridors – the Northern, Eastern, Central Southern and Central Northern Corridors – as enhanced and effective military mobility is essential to the security of all Member States and all European citizens.

With the aim of adopting a common vision military mobility, Parliament called for concrete preparedness on military mobility by moving towards a comprehensive approach to military logistics, including security of critical infrastructure, transport hubs, maintenance, storage, refuelling, repair and ammunition.

Funding

The resolution stressed that a centrally managed and dedicated EU transport funding instrument such as the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) must be continued in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) as the main source for robust military mobility funding. Parliament welcomed, therefore, the proposal for an increased budget for military mobility in the forthcoming MFF, which allocates over EUR 50 billion for transport under the CEF for 2028-2034, including over EUR 17 billion for military mobility.

It recalled the Council’s unprecedented cut of 75 % to military mobility funding under the 2021-2027 MFF, as compared to the position of Parliament and the Commission, and stressed that such a situation cannot be repeated. Members insisted that the resources allocated to military mobility within the next MFF be drastically increased to bring them into line with the estimated investment need of at least EUR 100 billion for addressing the 500 hotspots identified in the EU as needing urgent upgrading. The Commission is also urged to simplify the procedures for obtaining funding for dual-use projects.

Removing obstacles to military mobility and moving towards a ‘military Schengen area’

Parliament reiterated its call for a ‘military Schengen area’ and encouraged the Commission to provide a roadmap towards this objective with no further delay. It reiterated its profound concern about the current lack of responsiveness and efficiency in military mobility and called for the establishment of a European digital one-stop shop for the issuance of cross-border movement authorisations for military equipment, including a codified priority system and a database shared with NATO.

Enhancing EU-NATO cooperation

Members believe that enhanced military mobility reinforces both the CSDP and the transatlantic alliance. Moreover, NATO relies on the infrastructure of EU Member States to move troops and equipment. However, Parliament regretted the persistence of political and procedural obstacles to sharing classified information on logistical networks between between NATO and the EU and urged shared understanding in this regard to achieve synergies.

In addition, Members called for the organisation of regular joint EU-NATO exercises and stress tests involving the armed forces, civil protection, infrastructure managers, and transport operators to improve communication and coordination, streamline procedures, and identify and remove obstacles to military mobility. Coordination on maritime mobility should also be deepened.

Parliament also wants the EU to follow NATO’s example and ensure rapid reaction troops could cross internal EU borders within three days in ‘peacetime’ and within 24 hours in a crisis situation.

Lastly, the resolution stressed the added value of the exceptional participation of the US, Canada, the UK, Norway and Switzerland, as well as that of other likeminded partners, in the military mobility project of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO).