In view of the threats from Russia, the EU should have an emergency system for the rapid cross-border deployment of armed forces and military equipment.
November 19, 2025, 05:20November 19, 2025, 05:20
According to information from the German Press Agency, the European Commission wants to present a concrete proposal in Brussels today. It envisages guaranteeing military transport operations EU-wide priority access to transport networks, infrastructure and related services in a crisis.
A Polish Leopard tank during an inter-European exercise.Image: keystone
In addition, exceptions would be granted for driving and rest times, national reporting rules or environmental and noise protection regulations. Rail vehicles could also be used outside of their normally approved area of use.
“You can’t rely on goodwill”
“In crises in which the time factor is crucial in any reaction, Europe cannot afford to act slowly,” says a text on the planned directive, which is to be presented by the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius and transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas. Situations that require rapid and extensive military deployment rarely occur in advance. Then you cannot rely on ad hoc coordination and the goodwill of individual states. If the worst comes to the worst, there needs to be a clear plan and priority for the armed forces. Without this, all deterrence would remain theoretical.
After the presentation, the Council of Member States and the European Parliament will discuss the Commission’s proposal. If the new system is approved, it could be activated within 48 hours in the event of a crisis. In the Commission’s working texts it is referred to as the European Military Mobility Enhanced Response System (Emers).
It complements numerous other suggestions for how cross-border military transport should be facilitated outside of the emergency mechanism. In addition to reducing bureaucratic hurdles, this also involves expanding transport infrastructure. Currently, numerous relevant road and railway bridges as well as many ports and airports are not suitable for large and heavy military transport.
The background to the planning is intelligence findings that Russia should be militarily capable of starting another war by 2030 at the latest. “Russia currently has no capacity to launch an attack on the EU. But it could prepare for this in the coming years,” said EU foreign policy chief Kallas in October. The danger will not disappear even if the war in Ukraine ends.
Efforts to date are considered inadequate
There has recently been repeated criticism of the EU’s efforts to significantly improve military mobility. At the beginning of the year, for example, the European Court of Auditors complained that billions invested in projects to move armed forces more quickly within Europe were not having the desired effect. Accordingly, funded infrastructure projects were not selected based on the overall situation or the most urgent priorities, but on a case-by-case basis.
In November 2022, in response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU Commission announced that it would support militarily usable infrastructure projects with 1.7 billion euros. This included the expansion of roads or railway lines. The funds available for this had already been used up at the end of 2023, although they were intended to last until 2027. The Court of Auditors therefore also criticizes a financing gap.
For the next long-term EU budget, the Commission has now proposed a tenfold increase in the budget for military mobility. A total of 17.65 billion euros should be made available for investments in transport infrastructure that can be used for military purposes. (sda/dpa)