BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Commission plans to propose an emergency system for cross-border military transport and an initiative to pool member countries’ transport to make moving troops and equipment easier across the continent, according to a draft document seen by Reuters on Monday.
The EU has designated military mobility as one of its priority areas as it seeks to boost defences due to fears of a Russian attack and doubts about the future of U.S. protection.
While Europe has worked to improve military mobility in the past, officials and experts say national rules on military transport continue to diverge and transport infrastructure is not yet suitable for serving both military and civilian needs.
An audit earlier this year found that the EU’s goal of being able to move military personnel, equipment and supplies at short notice across borders had yet to be achieved.
The Commission document, set to be presented on Wednesday, proposes the creation of a new system which would allow for special border transport measures during emergencies and give “priority access for the armed forces to infrastructure, transport assets, and essential services,” according to the draft document.
In the paper, which is still subject to change, the Commission also suggested creating a single set of rules for seeking permission for military transport across borders and establishing a “solidarity pool” where member countries can choose to make available military transport capabilities.
(Reporting by Lili Bayer, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Hugh Lawson)
