EU defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius said the military mobility package is meant to cut to a minimum the obstacles to moving forces across the bloc, recalling a quote attributed to U.S. General John Pershing: “Infantry wins battles, logistics wins wars.”
Under the proposal, rules scattered across 27 national legal systems would be replaced by a single EU regulation for authorizing military movements. It would introduce one simplified procedure for permits covering troops and equipment.
Some countries now demand up to 45 days’ advance notice for military transports, while the EU average is 10 days. The Commission wants to cut this to three days. In emergencies, member states would be able to trigger a special regime allowing NATO troops to move across EU territory without any permits.
Kubilius said the plan is also meant to tackle practical obstacles, citing “anecdotal evidence” such as countries that do not allow tanks on certain roads because they are considered too heavy.
The new rules would ease bureaucratic, legal and customs restrictions. In such cases, requirements like mandatory rest periods for drivers and cabotage limits would not apply.
To address shortages in transport capacity, the Commission wants to set up a voluntary “solidarity pool” of military mobility assets. Member states would register their capabilities and could be asked for support when others need to move specific forces or equipment.
Assets could include rail platforms, medical wagons and vehicles for ammunition. Countries could also register capacity contracted from private firms or civilian transport providers. Within this pool, the Commission itself could order equipment to be made available to member states.
In the next EU budget, Brussels has proposed 17 billion euros for military mobility, 10 times more than in the current framework. Kubilius said governments should also direct part of their increased defense spending, pledged under NATO commitments, into transport infrastructure.
The EU plans to focus first on the most sensitive points in its network. Together with member states, the Commission has identified 500 critical locations along four main transport corridors, whose upgrade would require about 100 billion euros. Each country would appoint a military mobility coordinator to oversee implementation.
Kubilius stressed the EU was not seeking to compete with NATO or duplicate its efforts. He said the bloc brings added value through regulation and funding, and noted the Commission stayed in constant contact with NATO while drafting the proposal.
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Source: PAP