IRU welcomes the European Commission and High Representative’s new Military Mobility Package and calls for practical civil and military cooperation to keep the EU’s transport network strong and ready.
The package, comprising a new regulation and a strategic joint communication, recognises that effective crisis response relies on the smooth integration of commercial road transport into military mobility operations, supported by clear, fast and harmonised procedures.
This is keenly important as road transport networks are the most resilient and least vulnerable to major disruption from targeted attacks, reinforcing their role as the backbone of EU crisis logistics. Civilian operators already carry most essential goods and supplies in emergencies, making their rapid, secure cross-border deployment indispensable.
The package proposes measures to streamline cross-border authorisations, digitalise processes (including the EU Form 302), strengthen dual-use infrastructure and improve access to transport and logistics resources through a future Solidarity Pool. The ambition to allocate EUR 17.7 billion under the next Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) reflects the scale of infrastructure needs.
IRU EU Director Raluca Marian said, “Military and civil mobility are interconnected. Road transport is indispensable when the EU must react quickly. Much of the new CEF funding should therefore be directed to road infrastructure, given the essential and resilient role that road transport plays in crisis situations.”
“We welcome the Commission’s recognition of our sector. What matters now is ensuring procedures are practical and harmonised so operators can step in without delay,” she added.
IRU welcomes several important proposals, including:
- Improved compatibility between civilian and military transport rules, including for dangerous goods, exceptional loads, cabotage and traffic restrictions
- Predictable escalation levels under the European Military Mobility Enhanced Response System (EMERS)
- Digitalisation of customs and clearance processes
- A stronger focus on cybersecurity and energy security
- Solidarity mechanisms enabling available capacity to be deployed where most needed
Several important issues appear only in the joint communication and not yet in the binding regulation, such as:
- Full harmonisation of driving licences, training, driving and rest times, working times and posting rules when civilian operators support military mobility
- Clearer guidance on weights and dimensions for abnormal military transports, especially during EMERS activation
- Stronger attention to network capacity, multimodal hubs and infrastructure readiness
- A coherent EU framework for exceptional loads and high-capacity vehicles, with digital and mutually recognised permits
Some additional important aspects for ensuring effective integration of civilian road transport are absent altogether from the package. In particular, the framework still lacks:
- An EU-level approach to contractual arrangements and liability between civilian operators and the military to ensure legal certainty, protection and defined responsibilities when operators are mobilised
- A digital, mutually recognised EU certificate identifying civilian vehicles and drivers operating under military mandate, essential for smooth cross-border checks and enforcement
These gaps confirm that further progress is required as the legislative process advances.
Next steps
The proposal now moves to the European Parliament and Member States in the Council. IRU looks forward to a swift approval of the legal proposal and timely follow-up action to complete the framework, as today’s package is a necessary first step but further measures will be needed to make military mobility fully operational in practice.
“Civil operators carry the EU through crises. With clear and coordinated procedures in place, they stand ready to reinforce resilience whenever needed. This package gets us started. Now legislators must complete the work,” concluded Raluca Marian.