EU unveils plan to accelerate cross-border military movements
The European Commission has set out a new strategy to improve military mobility across the European Union, aiming to streamline rules for defence transport and create an emergency framework enabling rapid movement of troops and equipment.
The package is presented as a step towards a “military Schengen” in response to heightened security concerns following Russia’s war on Ukraine. The proposal seeks to harmonise national authorisation procedures, upgrade critical infrastructure and allow member states to share transport capacities.
Under the plan, countries would be required to grant cross-border transit clearances within three days during peacetime, replacing current procedures that can stretch to several weeks. The Commission is, for the first time, putting forward binding legislation to reduce 27 national systems to a single EU-wide process.
European Military Mobility Enhanced Response System
A central element is the creation of an emergency mechanism - the European Military Mobility Enhanced Response System (EMERS). Once activated by the Council, EMERS would grant priority passage to military convoys, automatically approve permits and temporarily suspend restrictions such as driving-time rules or environmental limits. Both a member state and the Commission can request activation, with the Council obliged to decide within 48 hours.
The Commission has identified roughly 500 infrastructure bottlenecks - including bridges unable to support heavy armour and tunnels too narrow for military convoys - requiring around 100 billion euros in investment. A solidarity pool for shared transport assets and a new Military Mobility Transport Group will coordinate implementation. Annual stress tests and exercises are planned from 2026.
Funding will rely on existing instruments, though 17.5 billion euros is earmarked for the 2028–2034 budget period, a tenfold increase on current allocations. The proposal now goes to EU governments and the European Parliament. Belgian MEP Wouter Beke welcomed the initiative, stressing Belgium’s strategic role as a logistical hub and calling for progress on stalled cross-border routes such as the Iron Rhine/3RX.
© Nicolas TUCAT / AFP
Related News
