The EU’s plan for military mobility was presented at a meeting of the NATO North of NATO Council in Brussels, the Sustainable Transport and Tourism Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas.

The European Commissioner referred to the geopolitical and geo -strategic rearrangements facing Europe and the Alliance, stressing that “today we are in one of the most decisive moments in European history”.

“Those who wish to hurt us believe that we are politically impossible to form a meaningful and long -term answer. They are wrong, “he said, and immediately added:” European security has greatly benefited from NATO’s timeless cooperation, which we have strengthened in recent years to respond more effectively to threats. But the security landscape changes quickly. Therefore, Europe must do much more to gain reliable deterrence and provide the security of which our well -being depends. This requires all Member States to act with solidarity and invest in our collective defense. “

Mr Tzitzikostas reiterated his EU positions on the war in Ukraine, stressing that “the EU wants a fair and lasting peace in the region”, while referring to the White Bible for the future of European defense, as stated in a statement.

Concerning military mobility, the Commissioner emphasized that it is one of the top priorities in its portfolio, noting that in this area “the EU has been active since 2017, with the first action plan approved the following year (2018), an action plan that determined its dual -use (military) infrastructure.

“Double -use infrastructures were determined on the basis of non -military infrastructure, so -called trans -European transport networks. These are our most strategic links between the Member States, their capital and all the major economic centers. This is due to the fact that the infrastructure for military moves is 97% identical to our political network. Cooperation between the European Commission and NATO for dual -use infrastructure is one of the best examples of cooperation so far, “he said.

Mr Tzitzikostas referred to the first budget for dual -use military mobility infrastructure in 2019, when “the value of these infrastructure was not in EU priorities”, stressing that “all this changed in 2022 with the war in Ukraine”.

Available resources of 1.7 billion euros were absorbed in just two years for 95 double -use projects in 21 EU Member States, he said, stressing that this budget was too small.

“It was a drop in the ocean, but in a completely different geopolitical juncture. As a result, we are still far from the existence of a well -connected and durable dual -use network, “he said. “Our future investments must be more focused and much, much higher. In close cooperation with NATO, we identified four corridors of EU priority military mobility that must be urgently upgraded to military demands. And we identified 600 specific dual -use infrastructure projects at equal number. On July 1, we will have the final mapping of the points and the respective projects to present it to the Ministers of Transport and Defense of the EU Member States, “the Commissioner said.

Mr Tzitzikostas noted that these projects are on the streets, on the railway, ports and airports, and interventions for refueling are foreseen, according to both EU and NATO needs.

Referring to the future funding of military mobility, he emphasized that “a brave increase in resources in the new EU’s new multi -year budgetary framework, which will begin in 2028”.

Apart from funding, however, Mr Tzitzikostas pointed out the need to limit bureaucracy, and especially that concerning military commutes, with the aim of, as he said, “to ensure that the troops and materials within the EU and cross our internal borders will no longer require” License, at the EU’s external borders, for the entry and crossing of the EU territory. “

After his speech, the Commissioner received questions from members of the NATO’s North Antland Council and a discussion followed.