Eyeing Russia, EU targets barriers to moving military assets eastward

The European Union aims to remove barriers that slow the transit of tanks, troops, and other heavy military assets across member states. A European Commission plan, presented amid heightened concerns about potential conflict with Russia, seeks to streamline authorisations and reduce bottlenecks that hinder rapid deployments.

Key points from the report include:

Currently, tanks and other heavy equipment still require country-by-country authorisations to transit through EU territory, and even with permits, routes are often diverted to avoid weak bridges or roads that cannot bear heavy loads.
EU defence chief Andrius Kubilius emphasised that speed is foundational to warfare and deterrence, framing the need for faster, safer mobility of forces across the bloc.
Auditors have warned that moving troops and armaments across the 27-nation bloc remains problematic, with unclear responsibilities and fragmented governance of military mobility within the EU.
Concrete examples include France encountering difficulties in 2022 when Germany blocked road transport of heavy tanks to Romania, necessitating chartered trains instead.
Officials have identified around 500 critical choke points across potential mobility corridors, underscoring widespread infrastructure gaps that require upgrades.
The plan includes a proposed budget and governance reforms, aiming to enable swifter cross-border movements in the event of a conflict, and to accelerate the integration of defence technologies and industry collaboration (including AI and other advanced tools) within European security projects.

“The fast movement of Europe’s militaries is essential for European defence,” EU officials have stated, underscoring the urgency of improving cross-border mobility and ensuring forces can be in the right place at the right time.[1]

EU auditors warned that moving troops and weapons across the bloc remained “problematic” and that it was unclear “who does what,” highlighting governance fragmentation as a major hurdle.[1]

Additionally, discussions highlight the ambition to earmark significant funding to bolster military mobility between 2028 and 2034, reflecting a shift toward more integrated defence planning and capacity-building across member states.

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Author’s summary: The EU seeks to accelerate cross-border military mobility by cutting bureaucratic red tape, upgrading infrastructure, and aligning governance and funding to ensure rapid positioning of forces in response to threats.

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Plataforma Media — 2025-11-20

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