The European Parliament adopted a resolution on 17 December supporting the creation of a “military Schengen” to remove barriers to troop and equipment movement across the EU, according to the European Parliament. The move comes amid Russia’s war against Ukraine and aims to improve military mobility across Europe.
MEPs call for faster military mobility and upgraded infrastructure
In the resolution, the members of the European Parliament are calling for the removal of internal borders for the movement of troops and military equipment across the EU, and for upgrades to railways, roads, tunnels, and bridges. They say Russia’s war against Ukraine has drawn renewed attention to military mobility and the urgent need to facilitate the rapid cross-border movement of troops, equipment, and assets across Europe.
The resolution states that military mobility is an essential enabler for common European security and defense, and crucial for the security of the eastern flank, in particular the Baltic countries and Poland. The document calls for regular joint exercises and stress tests to identify and remove obstacles. MEPs want 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.
Parliament supports more funding for military mobility
The resolution welcomes the Commission’s proposal to raise the military mobility budget in the next long-term budget to over €17 billion. MEPs call on EU countries to refrain from making cuts to this proposal, as they did in the 2021–2027 budget, when they cut proposed funds by 75%.
Barriers to mobility and calls for a dedicated area
Parliament acknowledges that although significant progress has been made to enhance military mobility, there are still considerable administrative and financial barriers, as well as infrastructure obstacles. It states that it can sometimes take over a month to move military equipment across the EU. MEPs call on EU countries and the European Commission to invest more in transport infrastructure, especially along the four EU military mobility corridors.
They also want to see more digital solutions applied, and cross-border movement authorizations accelerated by means of a one-stop-shop. The resolution recommends working towards a “military Schengen area,” reinforced by a military mobility task force and a European coordinator to streamline implementation of the different initiatives, with the Commission providing a roadmap.
