A presentation at the European Commission described plans for the rapid movement of European and NATO soldiers across the EU, including Ireland – raising questions about Irish neutrality.
Slides seen by The Ditch show the commission arguing EU transport rules should be deregulated to allow armed forces themselves and military contractors to move across EU member states.
It also describes mobility as "an essential enabler for Europe's security, defence readiness and deterrence capacity". The same month as the presentation EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius, a member of Fine Gael’s European party, said the bloc should consider establishing a unified army of 100,000 soldiers.
What they call a ‘Military Schengen’
European Commission negotiators made the presentation as part of the bloc’s Military Mobility Package 2025.
The commission refers to part of this package, which deals with the movement of militaries across the EU, as a “Military Schengen”.
It sets out measures to speed up the transport of troops – “armed forces acting in the context of EU or NATO”– and equipment across EU borders, ahead of an “expected need for significantly higher volumes” of movement.
It also includes plans for coordination with the defence industry ahead of what it says is an anticipated escalation in military needs.
Brussels also says the new regulations will "strengthen Europe's defence posture” by addressing “barriers in all dimensions, regulatory, infrastructure and capabilities, that currently slow down military transport across borders".
The presentation told negotiators that current rules delay militaries moving across the EU and need to be updated.
Under the measures every member state, including Ireland, would designate a national coordinator for cross-border military transport, the presentation said.
Each state would also need to legislate for militaries temporarily controlling civilian transport assets.
Central to the package is a new emergency mechanism called EMERS, the European Military Mobility Enhanced Response System.
The Council of the EU could activate this whenever it decides a significant increase in military transport is needed.
Under EMERS military movements would take priority across all transport networks.
These movements would require only six hours' notice, according to the presentation.
“There is an existing or an expected need for significantly higher volumes, frequency or speed of military transport in the union or any part there,” the slides say. “The existing rules on military transport and the capacity of the transport network do not allow or are not sufficient for that need to be met”
The package also creates a “solidarity pool” requiring all 27 member states to register transport and logistics capabilities, including ferries and rail wagons, for potential military use.
The presentation refers to a stakeholder consultation that received 108 contributions.
Those consulted include NATO, PESCO and the EDA – bodies that stand to benefit directly from the regulation's passage.
A provisional timetable shows the draft report goes to translation next week on 13 March.
Rapporteurs Michał Szczerba of the European People's Party and Roberts Zīle of the European Conservatives and Reformists are steering the regulation through the European Parliament
