EU pushes Military Schengen to cut troop movement times to days

The European Parliament is drafting a ‘Military Schengen’ regulation to streamline the transport of troops and equipment across the EU. The goal is to reduce crossing times from the current average of 40 days to a maximum of three days in peacetime and 24 hours in a crisis. The plan would replace numerous national permits with a single EU‑wide authorization, with permanent and ad‑hoc licences processed within six hours.

Negotiations on the Military Mobility Regulation are ongoing, led by MEP Michał Szczerba (KO) and Latvian MEP Robert Zīle. They aim to conclude inter‑institutional talks by the end of 2026, with the rules expected to take effect in early 2028. The initiative builds on a 2024 trilateral letter signed by defence ministers of Poland, Germany and the Netherlands and follows a 2025 Commission package that earmarks around €100 billion for modernising key transport corridors, in close cooperation with NATO.