‘Military Schengen’ Plan Cuts EU Troop Transit Time to Six Hours in an Emergency

According to Euronews, the plan is designed to significantly improve military mobility across the bloc amid growing security concerns over potential Russian aggression.

Under the new proposal, EU member states would have just three days in peacetime and a maximum of six hours in emergencies to allow other European military troops and equipment to cross their borders. In crisis scenarios, permission would be presumed granted.

“Today, in order to move military equipment and troops from, let’s say west to east, unfortunately it takes months,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, at a briefing attended by Euronews and other outlets. “What we want to do is to make it happen within days.”

He underscored the urgency of the change, adding, “You cannot defend a continent if you cannot move across it. It’s very clear. So we’re creating this military Schengen.”

Infrastructure and bureaucracy

The so-called Military Mobility package is the latest measure intended to substantially bolster the EU’s defence posture by the end of the decade. The plan focuses on two critical obstacles: slow bureaucratic procedures and inadequate infrastructure.

Fast-tracking permits Currently, permitting for cross-border military mobility is not harmonised across the 27 member states, with some countries taking weeks to reply to transit requests. The Commission’s new proposal cuts this delay to a maximum of three days in peacetime and six hours in a crisis.

Strategic logistics The plan envisions a new European military mobility enhanced response system, modelled on the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism. This will include:

• A military mobility solidarity pool where member states can share assets like flat trains, ferries, and strategic airlifts.
• A military mobility catalogue listing dual-use transport and logistic assets from civilian companies for military operations.

This work will be coordinated by a new military mobility transport group comprised of a national coordinator for each member state.

Infrastructure upgrades

The proposal allocates prioritised financing for a select number of 500 infrastructure projects to address critical bottlenecks along four agreed, but undisclosed, military corridors.

The aim is to upgrade key civilian infrastructure—roads, railway lines, ports, airports, tunnels, and bridges—so they can bear the weight and size of modern military equipment. Mr Tzitzikostas stressed that “solid logistic networks make the difference between winning and losing wars,” and the focus is on “short-term, quick win investments.”

Commissioner Tzitzikostas estimates that €100 billion will be needed to complete the necessary infrastructure and logistical work. However, the available EU funding is significantly lower:

• The current multiannual budget (ending 2027) earmarked only €1.7 billion for military mobility, which the Commissioner described as “a drop in the ocean.”
• The proposal for the next seven-year budget (starting 2028) calls for just under €18 billion—a tenfold increase, yet still far from the estimated cost.

Member states will be encouraged to use other financing avenues for the dual-use infrastructure, including cohesion funds (designed to reduce regional inequalities) and money from the SAFE defence loan scheme. Investments can also be counted towards the new spending targets set by NATO, as most EU members are also alliance members.