EU accelerates rollout of military mobility package

European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said the EU’s military‑mobility package, which entered trilogues in the European Parliament, is essential and should be applied as soon as the Union is ready. Members of the European Parliament, led by Polish MEP Michał Szczerba and Latvian MEP Roberts Zīle, are pushing for the rules to take effect in 2028, two years earlier than the Commission’s original 2030 target.

The package, part of the EU’s Readiness 2030 defence agenda, aims to cut red‑tape and upgrade infrastructure – bridges, rail sections and logistic terminals – so that troops and equipment can move across the 27 member states in days rather than weeks. Funding could come from the EU’s €131 billion defence allocation in the 2028‑2034 Multi‑annual Financial Framework, with national budgets also expected to contribute. Ireland, holding the rotating Council presidency, highlighted the package’s importance for deterrence and rapid crisis response.