Europe’s troops must move, not wait at internal borders 

The EPP Group today secured a key step towards a European 'Military Schengen', with Parliament's Transport and Defence Committees backing faster border crossings for troops and military equipment, streamlined procedures, shorter approval deadlines, stronger NATO interoperability, and upgraded dual-use infrastructure serving both civilian and defence needs.

"Military mobility is European security. Everything comes down to how fast Europe can respond. If troops and equipment cannot move swiftly across borders, Europe is not truly prepared to defend itself. We need a military Schengen. In a crisis, our armed forces cannot be left waiting at borders for permits when every minute counts. Today's vote is a first but decisive step towards making a military Schengen a reality," said Dariusz Joński MEP, the EPP Group's negotiator on military mobility in the Transport Committee.

"We did our job. We significantly strengthened the Military Mobility Legislative Package. We have secured simplified procedures, shortened deadlines for granting transport permission, faster digitalisation, stronger interoperability with NATO and close partners, and improved resilience of strategic dual-use infrastructure. Military mobility is about ensuring the logistics that underpin our defence capabilities," said Michał Szczerba MEP, the Parliament's lead negotiator on military mobility in the Defence Committee

"Military mobility is the backbone of European defence and deterrence. Europe’s security depends not only on what capabilities we possess but also on how quickly we can deploy them. By removing barriers to military movement, we are strengthening our collective defence, reinforcing the European pillar of NATO, and sending a clear message: Europe is prepared to take greater responsibility for its own security," Szczerba underlined.

The EPP Group has made military mobility a priority because Europe cannot claim to be serious about defence while troops are stuck at borders waiting for paperwork.