In a bid to improve the rapid and efficient movement of military personnel, equipment, and assets across the European Union and beyond, the European Commission and the

EU’s High Representative have initiated talks with key stakeholders to shape a new Military Mobility Package.

This initiative aims to address key hurdles such as infrastructure bottlenecks, procedural delays, and capability shortfalls. It is a critical component of the EU’s broader strategy to bolster defence readiness, as outlined in the Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030.

The upcoming package will lay out strategic goals, harmonise military and civilian procedures across Member States, and strengthen infrastructure resilience. These steps are intended to make military movement across Europe more efficient while aligning with wider EU policies on transport, energy, and taxation. To support this effort, the Commission plans to present a joint communication, propose new regulatory measures, and amend existing EU legislation.

The initiative underscores the commitment of the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to work closely with Member States, investing in infrastructure and enacting policy reforms to enhance military mobility.

Next steps

As of today, the Commission has launched a call for evidence and opened a targeted consultation running from mid-June to the end of August 2025. A broad range of stakeholders will be involved, including Member States, the European Defence Agency (EDA), PESCO, NATO, industry representatives from the defence, transport, and energy sectors, infrastructure managers, financial institutions, civil society, research bodies, and think tanks.

Consultation channels include an EU-wide survey (open until the end of July), submission of research and policy papers, and bilateral meetings—all designed to shape and refine the Military Mobility Package.

Background

Military mobility—the ability of EU Member States to rapidly deploy troops and equipment across the Union—is vital to European security, particularly in light of continued support for Ukraine. Since the initial 2018 Action Plan and the follow-up Military Mobility 2.0 (launched in November 2022), the EU has made significant progress in identifying and addressing legal, logistical, and capability-related obstacles.

Through frameworks such as the EDA and PESCO, and with €1.7 billion in funding via the Connecting Europe Facility, the EU has supported 95 dual-use infrastructure projects across 21 Member States. However, persistent challenges remain, requiring a more comprehensive and coordinated approach.

The Military Mobility Pledge made in May 2024, along with recent recommendations from the European Court of Auditors (February 2025), underscore the urgency and importance of this renewed focus on strengthening Europe’s defence infrastructure and operational readiness. Photo by Fred Romero from Paris, France, Wikimedia commons.