Europe is accelerating work on the largest programme in its history aimed at improving the movement of military equipment across the continent. The European Commission plans to allocate €17 billion to infrastructure upgrades, and Poland could become one of the primary recipients of these funds. The stakes include not only the modernisation of roads, bridges, and airports, but also the speed at which NATO forces can move across Europe in the event of a crisis.
“I’m currently working on a very important project related to military mobility — everything we need to build or modernise so that in the event of war troops and heavy equipment can be transported efficiently. At the moment, €17 billion has been earmarked in the new EU budget proposal, which is a substantial amount, and Poland could be the main beneficiary,”
says Dariusz Joński, MEP from the Civic Coalition, in an interview with Newseria.
The Military Mobility Package aims to remove existing infrastructure bottlenecks, procedural obstacles, and capability gaps. It forms part of broader EU efforts to strengthen defence readiness.
According to the European Commission, the movement of military forces and equipment across Europe remains overly difficult — a finding confirmed by joint exercises conducted with Member States. In 2024, only half of EU countries fully met their commitment to ensure transit within five working days. The EU has identified more than 500 “hotspots” in need of investment, with estimated costs of around €100 billion. These areas are considered priority targets for eliminating critical gaps and bottlenecks along four key military mobility corridors. The eastern flank is particularly vulnerable, lacking continuous and interoperable trans-European transport networks.
To accelerate progress, the Commission will present an ambitious military mobility package in November. It will include proposals for unified regulatory frameworks to facilitate the transport of military equipment, goods, and personnel across Europe, as well as targeted amendments to EU legislation to better account for military mobility requirements within dual-use infrastructure.
“This project is not just about money; it’s about simplifying procedures. For example, transporting a tank from Portugal to Poland currently takes many days, and it stops at every border because the procedures are so complex. It’s difficult to find a driver willing to do it, because every border crossing adds significant delays,”
explains Joński.
In its 2024 assessments, the Commission noted that the lack of harmonised military transit rules, fragmented responsibilities between national ministries, and the absence of interoperable digital systems lead to delays repeatedly revealed during NATO exercises. The legislative package is therefore expected to introduce a unified set of forms, standardised procedures, and harmonised rules for transporting dangerous goods.
The programme is also expected to be closely linked to the CEF Transport instrument, which already funds “dual-use” infrastructure. The Commission stresses that each Member State will have to ensure that modernised roads, bridges, ports, and airports meet military mobility requirements.
“Work is underway, and I believe that by December — in record time — we will be able to prepare a proposal for a vote. On one hand, we must carefully plan how to allocate the funds; on the other, the goal is to simplify procedures at every level — from the automotive, chemical, ceramic, steel, and metal industries to military mobility,”
says Joński.
Analyses by Boston Consulting Group consistently highlight the growing importance of resilient, dual-use infrastructure. BCG notes that in Europe, one of the biggest barriers to new investments is the length of preparation and permitting processes, which can delay the start of projects by several years. The firm emphasises that harmonised regulations, faster administrative procedures, and unified standards generate real economic benefits by improving supply chain capacity and reliability.
BCG also stresses that dual-use infrastructure investments are most effective where they combine civilian and military objectives — particularly along the EU’s eastern flank, where economic, logistical, and strategic needs overlap, and where resilient infrastructure is directly linked to regional defence capabilities.
“Nobody expected, 20 or 30 years ago — or even 10 — that war would return to Europe and that we’d need to think about rapid troop and equipment movement. Countries must be able to react within minutes, not hours or days as is the case now. We need simplification so that bureaucracy does not obstruct companies — large or small — and so that essential equipment can be transported quickly,”
emphasises the Civic Coalition MEP.
