Rapid mobilisation of troops and equipment across the EU still ‘problematic’, say auditors
EU member states are still not moving fast enough to deploy their military personnel, equipment, and assets smoothly due to bottlenecks, red tape, and design flaws in the military mobility action plan, according to a new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA).
“Now more than ever, the EU seeks to future-proof itself efficiently against aggression, and there is clearly a need for speed. However, we found that there are some bottlenecks along the way,” Tony Murphy, ECA president, told reporters on Wednesday.
Moving troops and armaments across the EU can face delays for various reasons, including bureaucracy and limited coordination, the Luxembourg-based EU financial watchdog said.
For example, one EU member state currently requires 45 days advance notice to allow cross-border movement —unless there is an emergency, such as the war in Ukraine. In another case, tanks from one member state were denied passage through another due to exceeding weight limits set by road traffic regulations.
The EU Military Mobility project has a budget of €1.7 billion for the 2021-27 period to help member states respond more rapidly and effectively to crises at the bloc’s external borders or beyond, including at short notice and on a large scale.
Following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU allocated the entire €1.7 billion budget by the end of 2023 as a political signal, creating a potential funding gap of more than four years until the next budgetary period.
“Such a long vacuum can cause delays in additional investments and a loss of experience among stakeholders on EU funding,” the ECA’s president pointed out.
The EU funded 95 projects in 21 member states, but the military mobility budget remains relatively modest compared to the actual needs, Murphy argued. He also noted that the selection of dual-use infrastructure projects for EU funding lacked sufficient consideration of geopolitical factors.
“There is a clear concentration of EU-funded projects in the east of the EU, in Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia,” Murphy stressed.
By contrast, along the southern route toward Ukraine, the EU did not fund any projects in Greece.
“Military mobility will be a priority of the Commission’s mandate,” a spokesperson for the executive said in response to the ECA report.
The Commission, together with EU member states and the External Action Service, has identified four military mobility corridors across the EU and is currently assessing investment needs to guide the implementation of military mobility projects.
“Work on investment needs for military mobility assets is underway too,” the Commission spokesperson added.
The EU auditors have also recommended that the Commission use existing EU transport funds to address military mobility bottlenecks.
The Commission has accepted all recommendations and emphasised that it is working on proposals to tackle the lack of coordination, with a focus on simplification, infrastructure investment, military mobility assets—such as infrastructure protection and special equipment—and closer cooperation with NATO.
