Rikard Jozwiak
Europe is ramping up defense spending. But one issue has largely been neglected — how to move military equipment from one country to another as quickly as possible in the case of conflict.
A “military Schengen,” an area in which arms and troops can freely move around the bloc’s passport-free zone as easily as civilians do, has been talked about for years. But so far it has remained elusive for both the EU and NATO, despite increased security concerns brought about by the war in Ukraine.
On November 19, the European Commission will present its latest attempt to achieve this by the end of the decade.
An advanced copy, seen by RFE/RL, points out two ways to achieve this: firstly, splashing cash on hundreds of “choke points” around the continent such as rail tracks, ports, and bridges, including in EU candidates Ukraine and Moldova, which the paper considers crucial to integrate into the EU’s military transport structures.
And secondly, cutting red tape to stop disparate national laws and bureaucracy from hindering any efforts to quickly and easily move military assets from one EU country to the next.
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