European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius has described the European Union's military mobility package as a 'revolutionary' step to overhaul how troops and equipment move across the continent, but members of the European Parliament are demanding a faster rollout, citing the growing threat from Russia.
The package, which enters trilogues in the European Parliament on Thursday, aims to eliminate the patchwork of national regulations that currently slow military convoys. 'The big problem for us is that we have 27 member states and they have 27 regimes of military mobility,' Kubilius told Euronews. 'For example, to bring troops from Spain to the Baltic states, it can take something like 45 days. We are changing that very radically.'
Accelerated Timeline Under Debate
The European Commission originally proposed a 2030 deadline for implementation, aligning with the broader Readiness 2030 defence agenda. However, the rapporteurs for the package—Polish MEP Michał Szczerba from the European People's Party (EPP) and Latvian MEP Roberts Zīle from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)—both confirmed they want the rules in place by 2028. 'Time's of the essence, and we cannot wait,' Szczerba said. 'This regulation is not about money. It's about rules, and speed and scale. It is about investments and eliminating critical bottlenecks such as bridges, rail sections, or logistic terminals.'
Zīle echoed the urgency, noting that Russia's invasion of Ukraine demonstrates the need for updated infrastructure. 'We cannot wait until 2030,' he said. The year 2030 has been flagged by multiple national security agencies as a potential date when European defences could be tested by foreign aggression, particularly from Moscow.
Kubilius, when asked about the 2028 proposal, said the trilogues are the forum to discuss such adjustments. 'We need to agree not only with the Parliament, we need to agree with the Council. But as Commission we are really ambitious,' he said.
The package aims to cut red tape and upgrade infrastructure—railways, roads, and bridges—to expedite military movements. Four major military mobility corridors have been identified by the European Commission in consultation with NATO, though their details remain confidential due to security concerns. These corridors include 500 'hotspot projects' that would receive increased support under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which proposes a €131 billion defence allocation for 2028–2034.
Zīle stressed that national governments must also contribute. 'All countries, NATO member states, agreed to allocate 5 percent of GDP on defence, and 1.5 percent of this could be done for logistics needs,' he said.
Irish Defence Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee, whose country holds the rotating EU Council Presidency, backed the initiative. 'In the current challenging international security context, Ireland recognises the importance of this file for deterrence, for resilience, but also for readiness,' she told the European Parliament's Security and Defence Committee on Wednesday.
The debate over military mobility comes as Europe grapples with broader defence challenges, including the dismissal of Ukraine's popular defence minister amid reform disputes. The EU's ability to rapidly deploy forces across the continent is seen as critical to deterring potential aggression and supporting allies like Ukraine.
