The European Conservatives and Reformists Group welcomes the adoption of the Military Mobility report at the joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committees on Security and Defence, and on Transport and Tourism.

After the vote, ECR co-rapporteur Roberts Zīle expressed satisfaction that the European Union is “moving from declarations to delivery”, arguing that Europe still lacks the basic ability to quickly move troops and equipment in a crisis.“Europe cannot afford delays when it comes to its security. Troops and equipment must be able to move across the European Union within days, not weeks.”

Zīle stressed that this is particularly urgent on the EU’s eastern flank. “For the Baltic States and Poland, the ability to receive reinforcements quickly is not just a procedural matter — it is also a matter of deterrence. If it takes a month to transport heavy equipment from a western port to the eastern border, our security framework is not fit for purpose”, he said.

Zīle noted that many of the current obstacles are surprisingly mundane — and therefore solvable. “We still face duplicated forms, differing national procedures, and infrastructure that simply was not built for today’s security realities”, he explained.

The report calls for faster authorisations, a more coherent system for cross-border movement, and real progress towards a functioning “military Schengen”. Zīle welcomed these ambitions, but warned that they would only work if Member States provided the necessary resources. He also pointed to persistent shortages of transport capacity across Europe: “We lack the heavy transport equipment needed to move modern military equipment quickly. Closing these gaps is long overdue if we are to meet the goal of deploying within three to five days”, he said.

Zīle added that NATO already sets a clear benchmark for readiness. “NATO has shown what rapid movement looks like in practice. If the European Union wants to be a credible partner in Europe’s collective defence, it must match that level of readiness”, he concluded.

The report will now move to the plenary session of the European Parliament, with a vote expected in December.