ERF welcomes the Commission’s proposal on Military Mobility for stronger, more resilient road infrastructures

19 November 2025 | Brussels

The European Union Road Federation (ERF) welcomes the European Commission Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on Military Mobility, released on 19.11.2025 – JOIN(2025) 846.

As the voice of the European road sector, the ERF is committed to enhancing the resilience of European road infrastructure, both for military and civil use. The Military Mobility communication correctly identifies the resilience and reinforcement of the European transport network as crucial both for the functioning of the internal market and for the European deterrence, security, and defense. Only well-maintained and well-functioning infrastructures can guarantee the effective and seamless mobility of military assets within the continent.

The proposal also includes measures to strengthen cybersecurity, energy security, and readiness both for peace and crisis times. In particular, member states will have the opportunity to identify strategic dual-use infrastructures and make them more resilient against all hazards based on a shared toolbox of resilience and protection measures that go beyond the instruments and requirements included in the Critical Entities Resilience (CER) directive 2022/2557.

Adapting the transport infrastructure to the dual-use (military and civil) calls for more funding, since military convoys often require reinforcement and enlargement of rail and road bridges and tunnels. For this reason, the ERF welcomes the EC’s proposal for a tenfold increase in the budget for military mobility in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2028-2034, with a proposed budget of 17.65 billion EUR under the future Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for investments in TEN-T dual-use transport infrastructure. Further investment instruments for the funding of dual-use and military mobility infrastructures have been identified in the new European Competitiveness Fund, ECF InvestEU, and the Horizon Europe Framework Program.

The ERF also supports the other initiatives proposed by the European Commission towards a “Military Schengen”, such as:

• Removing regulatory barriers for cross-border military mobility, with EU-level harmonised rules on military mobility and clear rules and procedures for cross-border military movements, with a maximum three-day processing time and streamlined customs formalities.;
• The institution of a European Military Mobility Enhanced Response System (EMERS) for fast-track procedures and priority access to infrastructure, supporting armed forces acting in the context of EU or NATO;
• The introduction of a Solidarity Pool and a Military Mobility Digital Information System to enhance preparedness, solidarity and availability of military mobility capabilities for Member States;
• A stronger governance and coordination, with the introduction of a new Military Mobility Transport Group and an enhanced Trans-European Transport Network TEN-T Committee.