An ambitious package of measures for the creation of a “military Schengen area” was presented by the
The initiative aims to solve the problem of the ability of European armed forces to quickly move troops and equipment within the EU, which for decades has been hampered by bureaucratic obstacles, inconsistent regulations and outdated infrastructure. Nationally fragmented processes have made the movement of military hardware slow, costly and politically complicated, undermining Europe’s ability to prevent and respond effectively to crises.
The presented package includes three main axes: a Regulation on Military Mobility, a Joint Communication and targeted amendments to existing European legislation.
Removing regulatory barriers
For the first time, the EU sets harmonized Union-wide rules on military mobility. Member states will have a maximum of three days in times of peace and just six hours in emergencies to approve the passage of foreign troops and equipment through their territory. This drastic reduction in approval times (from weeks or months to days or hours) is an important step towards a functioning ‘Military Schengen’.
European Enhanced Military Mobility Response System (EMERS)
Modeled on the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism, EMERS will enable rapid mobilization in crises. When activated, the system will give military operations priority access to transport infrastructure, vehicles and essential services, with the possibility of derogation from standard customs and transport rules. The Council will be able to approve the activation of the system within 48 hours, with a duration of up to one year.
Strengthening infrastructure
The proposal focuses on upgrading four priority military mobility corridors across all transport functions (road, rail, sea and air). 500 critical points have already been identified in need of upgrading (bridges, tunnels, ports, airports) so that they can support the weight and size of military equipment according to NATO standards.
Sharing skills
A “military mobility solidarity pool” will be created, where member states can make available assets – such as flat trains, ships or strategic airlift – for use by other states. In addition, a “military mobility inventory” of dual-use transportation and logistics assets from private companies will be created.
Digitization and Governance
The proposal envisages the creation of a new Military Mobility Transport Group, with a national coordinator for each member state, to coordinate efforts. The creation of a Digital Military Mobility Information System will also be supported.
Defense Industry Transformation Roadmap
Alongside the military mobility package, the Commission presented a European Defense Transformation Roadmap. This charter aims to boost the innovation and competitiveness of the European defense industry by addressing the need for “greater flexibility, speed and risk-taking”.
Priorities include connecting innovative companies with end-users in Member States, creating “technology alliances for defence” and organizing an annual defense industry summit. A particular focus is on artificial intelligence, with simplification measures to improve access to relevant datasets for training and validating AI solutions.
Funding of military mobility
Funding for military mobility is a critical element and source of concern. Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas estimated that approximately 100 billion euros will be needed to upgrade the infrastructure required.
In the current budget, €1.7 billion has been allocated to dual-use (civil/military) infrastructure projects through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). These funds supported 95 projects in 21 countries, including upgrades to railway stations, ports and road infrastructure. However, demand far exceeded available resources, with funds running out before the end of the period.
Next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034)
The Commission has proposed €17.65 billion for military mobility in the next long-term EU budget. A tenfold increase compared to the current period. These funds will focus on the 500 identified ‘tipping point’ projects.
Despite the increase, a significant funding gap remains. Commissioner Tzitzikostas pointed out that the €17.65 billion is an important step, but it is not the only source of funding. Member States can draw on additional resources from the Structural Funds, the Cohesion Policy program and the €150 billion SAFE (Security Action for Europe) loan scheme.
Additional Defense Funding
Beyond military mobility, the EU has developed a number of financial instruments to strengthen its defense capacity
The European Defense Fund (EDF), with a total budget of €8 billion for the period 2021-2027, supports collaborative research and development in the defense sector. For 2025, the annual work program has EUR 1.065 billion, of which EUR 336.6 million is earmarked for the European Defense Innovation Scheme (EUDIS) supporting SMEs and start-ups. By March 2025, the Commission had committed €5.4 billion to collaborative research and defense capability development projects.
The European Defense Industrial Program (EDIP), with a budget of €1.5 billion for the period 2025-2027, aims to strengthen the European defense technological and industrial base, promote joint procurement of defense equipment and support Ukraine. Of this amount, EUR 300 million is earmarked for the Ukraine Support Instrument. The program was approved by the European Parliament and the Council in October 2025.
Security Action for Europe (SAFE) is a €150 billion loan facility that offers soft loans to Member States for defense investment. By May 2025, 19 Member States had applied for a SAFE loan.
The European Peace Fund (EPF), with a budget of more than €17 billion for the period 2021-2027 (financed outside the EU budget), the EPF has mobilized €6.1 billion between 2022 and 2024 for military support of Ukraine.
With EU Bonds for NextGenerationEU the European Commission raised €5 billion on 18 November 2025 in its 10th transaction for 2025, with a leverage of around 17 times (offers of over €86 billion). Since the start of 2025, the Commission has issued €148.052 billion in EU bonds. The proceeds fund EU programmes, mainly under NextGenerationEU and support for Ukraine, with over €352.74 billion already disbursed to Member States under the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
The funding challenge
Despite the significant increases, there are concerns that funds may be insufficient. The European Court of Auditors has warned that EDIP’s €1.5 billion budget may not be sufficient to achieve its goals and recommended realistic targets and a long-term funding strategy. In addition, analysts warn that the overall funding could be spread over many projects without measurable impact.
Achieving NATO’s new defense spending target by 2035 (3.5% of GDP for military equipment and an additional 1.5% for civilian investment – such as military mobility) will require an additional €254 billion per year from the 23 EU member states that are also members of NATO, raising total defense spending to around €635 billion.
Prospects and challenges
The Commission’s proposal for the military mobility package and the defense industry transformation roadmap reflect the growing recognition that Europe needs to strengthen its defense preparedness in a deteriorating geopolitical environment. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has made it clear that the ability to rapidly mobilize and support allies is vital.
However, implementation will face significant challenges. Member states tend to limit the Commission’s initial proposals, preferring to channel EU funds into areas such as agriculture and social spending that win more votes. Furthermore, the political will to open up national contracts to EU-level competition or loosen controls on the intra-EU movement of defense equipment remains unclear. In the first reading, the Commission attempts to direct extremely large amounts of national budgets to Defense.
Despite the challenges, the initiative represents a substantial effort to transform Europe’s fragmented defense into a more cohesive, effective force. The Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrews Coubilius, has underlined that “solid logistical networks make the difference between winning and losing wars”.
Apostolos Tzizikostas emphasized that “Europe is not preparing for war, but for the preservation of peace”. And, answering a journalist’s question, he clarified that the Commission’s current proposals “only concern the 27 EU member states”. By creating “Military Schengen” and strengthening the defense industry, the EU aims to ensure that the political decision to defend its territory can be matched by the operational ability to do so.
