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On 24 November, the Parliament’s Committees on Transport (TRAN) and Security and Defence (SEDE) adopted an own-initiative report on military mobility, calling for a more integrated and efficient approach to the movement of military assets across the EU.

The report emphasises the need for a “Military Schengen” area, aimed at removing administrative and physical barriers to cross-border military transport, enhancing Europe’s ability to respond swiftly to potential security threats. MEPs welcomed the European Commission’s proposal to reinforce funding through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and other EU instruments, while recognising the essential role of transport operators in military mobility planning. They propose the creation of a Military Mobility Taskforce to integrate logistics providers into decision-making processes, ensuring that their operational expertise is fully utilised in both planning and crisis response.

The report suggests introducing a three-phase crisis framework covering peacetime, crisis, and wartime scenarios, with clear rules for each phase, aiming to provide legal certainty and operational flexibility for logistics operators. It also addresses critical gaps in the Commission’s proposal, such as the need for war risk insurance coverage for high-risk logistics service providers and measures to tackle labour shortages and upskill transport workers. These elements align closely with CLECAT’s position for structured public-private cooperation, predictable procedures, and safeguards to protect civilian supply chains during military mobilisation.

The adopted text will be put to a vote during the next plenary session mid-December. CLECAT welcomes the report’s emphasis on operator inclusion, funding reinforcement, and crisis preparedness, and will continue to engage with policymakers to ensure that the final legislation reflects the operational realities and needs of the logistics sector.

Source: European Parliament