EU to Ease Military Transport Rules Amid Russia Threat
The EU executive has pledged to ease red tape to speed up the movement of European armies and tanks across the continent, describing it as “a critical insurance policy for European security”.
A military mobility plan announced by the European Commission on Wednesday is part of an effort to ensure Europe is ready to defend itself by 2030,in line with warnings from security services that Russia could be able to attack an EU member state within five years.
Currently, moving an army from a western European port to the EU’s eastern border with Ukraine, Belarus and Russia presents significant obstacles and delays. Thes include bridges unable to bear the weight of tanks,railway tunnels too small for military vehicles,and cumbersome EU paperwork regarding working time and customs.
At least one EU member state requires 45 days’ notice for cross-border troop movements, a stark contrast to the three-day border procedure pledged by EU countries in 2024. The EU’s auditors have also documented instances of entry being denied to military convoys due to local weight restrictions.
“If a bridge cannot carry a 60-tonne tank, we have a problem. If a runway is too short for a cargo plane, we cannot resupply our crews,” said the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, criticizing the 45-day permission rule as “not good enough” – eleven years after Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Kallas emphasized that the latest EU proposals would underpin, rather than duplicate, Nato’s defense planning. “Military mobility is a critical insurance policy for European security; you hope you never have to use it to the full capacity, but having it ready ensures more credible deterrence and defence,” she told reporters.
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