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The EU’s plan for military mobility was presented at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council of NATO in Brussels by the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
The European Commissioner referred to the geopolitical and geostrategic upheavals facing Europe and the Alliance, emphasizing that “today we are at one of the most decisive moments in European history.”
“Those who wish to harm us believe that we are politically weak to formulate a substantial and long-term response. They are mistaken,” he said, and immediately added: “European security has benefited greatly from the enduring cooperation with NATO, which we have strengthened in recent years to respond more effectively to threats. But the security landscape is changing rapidly. Therefore, Europe must do much more to achieve credible deterrence and provide the security on which our prosperity depends. This requires all member states to act in solidarity and invest in our collective defense.”
Mr. Tzitzikostas reiterated the EU’s positions regarding the war in Ukraine, emphasizing that “the EU desires a just and lasting peace in the region,” while referring to the White Paper on the Future of European Defense, as stated in a related announcement.
Regarding military mobility, the Commissioner highlighted that it is one of the top priorities in his portfolio, noting that in this specific area “the EU has been active since 2017, with the first action plan being approved the following year (2018), an action plan that defined dual-use transport infrastructures (civilian and military), in cooperation with NATO.”
“The dual-use infrastructures were defined based on non-military infrastructures, the so-called trans-European transport networks. These are our most strategic connections between member states, their capitals, and all major economic centers. This is because the infrastructure for military movements is 97% identical to our civilian network. The cooperation between the European Commission and NATO on dual-use infrastructures is one of the best examples of cooperation so far,” he emphasized.
Mr. Tzitzikostas referred to the first budget for dual-use military mobility infrastructures in 2019, when “the value of these specific infrastructures was still not a priority for the EU,” emphasizing that “all this changed in 2022 with the war in Ukraine.”
The available resources of 1.7 billion euros were absorbed in just two years for 95 dual-use projects in 21 EU member states, he said, emphasizing that this budget was excessively small.
“It was a drop in the ocean, but in a completely different geopolitical context. As a result, we are still far from having a well-connected and resilient dual-use transport network,” he said. “Our future investments must be more focused and much, much higher. In close cooperation with NATO, we have identified four priority military mobility corridors of the EU that need urgent upgrades to meet military requirements. And we have identified 600 specific dual-use infrastructure projects at as many points. By July 1, we will have the final mapping of the points and the corresponding projects ready to present to the transport and defense ministers of the EU member states,” the Commissioner pointed out.
Mr. Tzitzikostas noted that these projects are on roads, railways, in ports and airports, while interventions for refueling are also planned, according to the needs of both the EU and NATO.
Referring to future funding for military mobility, he emphasized that “a significant increase in resources is required in the new Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU, which will begin in 2028.”
Beyond funding, however, Mr. Tzitzikostas highlighted the need to reduce bureaucracy, especially regarding military movements, with the aim, as he said, “to ensure that for troops and equipment moving within the EU and crossing our internal borders, cross-border traffic permits will no longer be required” and “those coming from countries outside the EU will only need one permit, at the external borders of the EU, for entry and passage through EU territory.”
After his speech, the Commissioner took questions from members of the North Atlantic Council of NATO, followed by a discussion. (16/4/2025)