Commission moves towards ‘Military Schengen’ and transformation of defence industry

November 20, 2025 by European Union Leave a Comment

Soldiers in camouflage uniforms marching in formation, showcasing their black boots on a road. — (Credit: Unsplash)

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

To make it easier for troops, equipment and military assets to move quickly and smoothly across Europe, the European Commission and the High Representative step up defence readiness, focusing on preparedness, with a military mobility package: new Regulation on military mobility and Joint Communication.

The Commission also aims at boosting disruptive innovation in the military area and strengthening Europe’s defence industry with an EU Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap.

Enabling movement at scale and speed

Creating an EU-wide military mobility area by 2027, the military mobility package brings the EU one step closer towards a ‘Military Schengen.’ It will make it faster, safer, and more coordinated to move troops and military equipment across Europe by:

Removing regulatory barriers: introduces the first-ever EU-level harmonised rules on military mobility and sets clear rules and procedures for cross-border military movements, with a maximum three-day processing time and streamlined customs formalities.
Creating an emergency framework: a new European Military Mobility Enhanced Response System (EMERS) for fast-track procedures and priority access to infrastructure, supporting armed forces acting in the context of EU or NATO.
Enhancing the resilience of transport infrastructure: upgrades key EU military mobility corridors to dual-use standards and protecting strategic infrastructure with a new resilience toolbox. Targeted investments will strengthen cybersecurity, energy security and readiness in both peace and crisis.
Pooling and sharing capabilities: enhances preparedness, solidarity and availability of military mobility capabilities for Member States by introducing a Solidarity Pool and the possibility to create a Military Mobility Digital Information System.
Strengthening governance and coordination: A new Military Mobility Transport Group and an enhanced Trans-European Transport Network TEN-T Committee will guide implementation and monitor readiness, supported by National Cross-border Military Transport coordinators in each Member States.

Unlocking disruptive innovation for Defence Readiness

The’EU Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap: Unleashing Disruptive Innovation for Defence Readiness’ plans to accelerate the modernisation of the European defence industry and support emerging defence players.

It aims to bring together the deep tech and defence communities, speed up the use of advanced technologies in military capabilities and boost Europe’s production capacity through innovation.

To achieve this, it focuses on four priorities: supporting investment in defence companies, accelerating the development of new technologies, expanding access to defence capabilities and fostering the skills needed to sustain Europe’s technological edge.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has shown how quickly defence technologies evolve. Innovations such as AI, quantum systems, drones and space technologies are reshaping the battlefield. New defence actors, from startups to innovative SMEs, are changing how Europe develops and produces military capabilities.

Europe must learn from Ukraine’s experience, strengthen its resilience and build a new defence ecosystem that unites industry leaders, new innovators and the tech community to deliver capabilities faster and more efficiently.

Next Steps

The Commission will present the new Regulation on military mobility to the Council and the European Parliament for adoption under the ordinary legislative procedure.

The Commission will immediately start implementing the Roadmap’s proposed actions to start the transformation of Europe’s defence industrial ecosystem and scale up.

Background

In March 2025, the Commission and the High Representative put forward the White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030, complemented by the Commission’s ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030, an ambitious defence package providing financial levers to EU Member States to drive an investment surge in defence capabilities.

The military mobility package and the EU Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap were both highlighted as key priority areas in the White Paper and in the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030.

The military mobility package 2025 also builds on lessons learned from the revised Action Plan 2.0 and the 2024 Military Mobility Pledge. It has been developed in close coordination with the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Defence Agency (EDA), ensuring coherence with NATO standards and procedures.

Trending now:

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Frank Shao is a Tanzanian medical student. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Access to Healthcare: is it too much to ask?

January 30, 2026

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Khalil Al Bilani is a 5th-year medical student at Saint George’s University of Beirut. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect […]

UN Photo/Manuel Elías Ramiz Alakbarov (on screen), Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

Potential turning point for Gaza as peace plan enters second phase: UN envoy

January 29, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The start of a second phase of a stabilisation plan for Gaza offers a potential turning point for the war-ravaged enclave, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday. Ramiz Alakbarov warned that risks of violence escalating again remain high, while the situation in the […]

Gaza ceasefire improves aid access, but children still face deadly conditions

January 28, 2026

The fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is making a difference to the lives of over a million children, and improving overall access to food – but more aid still needs to enter. That’s the assessment of two senior officials from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP), speaking on Monday to journalists in New York following a […]

A new blow for UNRWA as headquarters in East Jerusalem ‘set on fire’

January 27, 2026

© UNRWA Destruction at UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem after Israeli authorities sent in bulldozers on 20 January. This article is published in association with United Nations. The head of embattled UN relief agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, has condemned reports that its headquarters in East Jerusalem have been set alight deliberately. It comes after Israeli authorities […]

© UNHCR/Yevheniia Kozun This cinema in Saltivka, Kharkiv, was hit during an earlier strike (file Jan 2026).

‘Cycle of attacks must end’: Lead UN official in Ukraine

January 26, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The senior UN official in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, has issued a condemnation of the massive overnight Russian drone and missile strike on several major Ukrainian cities, killing and injuring civilians, and knocking out energy infrastructure amid sub-zero temperatures. The attacks on some of Ukraine’s most important population […]

WHO/P. Virot The flag of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) flies at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

US withdrawal from WHO ‘risks global safety’, agency says in detailed rebuttal

January 25, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a detailed statement regretting the United States decision to leave the UN agency, and declaring that it will leave both the US and the world less safe as a result. The statement, released on Saturday, also includes a rebuttal of […]

© UNOCHA/Ximena Borrazas Kateryna and her two children warm up at a heating point and use rhe available electricity to charge their devices.

Keeping people warm amid hostilities and harsh winter weather in Ukraine

January 24, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. As people in war-torn Ukraine face the coldest winter in more than a decade, authorities and humanitarians are working to help them stay warm, particularly the most vulnerable residents. Russian forces continue to attack Ukraine’s energy grid, leaving families without electricity and heating as temperatures plummet to -20° Celsius. Since 2022, the Government has established so-called “Invincibility Points” – located in tents or public […]

UN News A UN emergency shelter set up amid the ruins of Gaza.

Gaza: War crimes probe pledges to continue work for justice and accountability

January 23, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. As President Trump launched the international Board of Peace plan for Gaza on Thursday, top independent rights experts tasked by the UN Human Rights Council with investigating grave abuses linked to the Hamas-Israel war pledged to continue their work seeking justice and accountability for all. “The Board […]

© WFP/Maxime Le Lijour Children wait for a hot meal at a kitchen in Khan Younis, Gaza, supported by the World Food Programme.

Cold kills another infant in Gaza as West Bank displacement intensifies

January 22, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Another child in the Gaza Strip has died from hypothermia as winter weather continues to whip the enclave, the UN said on Wednesday, citing information from the health authorities. The baby girl – just three months old – was found frozen to death on Tuesday morning at her home in […]

Critical medicines: EU measures to boost competitiveness and tackle shortages

January 21, 2026

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. On Tuesday, Parliament adopted proposals to enhance the availability and supply of essential medicines in the EU. The report, adopted with 503 votes in favour, 57 against and 108 abstentions, aims to ensure a high level of public health protection for EU citizens by […]

Europe Was Warned: Why the Next Pandemic Could Be Worse

January 20, 2026

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by one of our passionate readers, Dr Taimoor Ahmed Shumail , MD | Dr Ahmed Bilal , MD , Vice President Global Health and Diplomacy Wing – Pakistan International Medical Students Association. The opinions expressed within reflect only the writer’s views and not necessarily The European Sting’s position […]

UN News Many Palestinian families are living in poorly equipped shelters that are highly vulnerable to flooding, leaving people inevitably exposed to harsh, stormy weather..

Gaza humanitarian crisis ‘far from being over,’ UN aid coordination office warns

January 18, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Three months into the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the UN and partners have delivered tonnes of assistance items and carried out critical repairs, but this is only a temporary “Band-Aid” solution, a veteran aid worker has warned. “The humanitarian situation and crisis in Gaza is far […]

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

Will AI kickstart a new age of nuclear power?

January 17, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The rapidly expanding use of artificial intelligence worldwide is putting electrical grids under huge pressure and many believe that, to meet that need without contributing to the climate crisis, a full-scale expansion of nuclear energy is essential. The global demand for electricity is growing at a vertiginous […]

UN Photo/Loey Felipe Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in Iran.

Iran: UN urges ‘maximum restraint’ to avert more death, wider escalation

January 16, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. As nationwide protests in Iran appear to ease after nearly three weeks of unrest and bloodshed, a senior UN official called on Thursday for action to prevent further escalation. Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee briefed an emergency meeting of the Security Council in New York called by the […]

UNRWA UNRWA Headquarters in East Jerusalem

East Jerusalem: Forced shutdown of UN clinic signals escalating disregard for international law

January 15, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The temporary closure of a UN-run health centre in East Jerusalem is the latest phase in “a pattern of deliberate disregard” for international law, the head of the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said on Wednesday. Israeli forces stormed the UNRWA-operated health centre on Monday and ordered it […]

Iran: ‘The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop,’ UN rights chief says

January 14, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. As anti-government demonstrations continue across Iran, the UN human rights chief said on Tuesday that he was horrified at the mounting violence directed by security forces against protestors, with reports of hundreds killed and thousands arrested. Volker Türk urged the authorities to immediately halt all forms of violence and repression against peaceful […]

© UNHCR/Yevheniia Kozun The bombing of residential buildings in Saltivka, Kharkiv, has left many Ukrainians without power.

Ukraine: Deadly Russian strikes push civilians deeper into winter crisis

January 13, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Ukraine has entered the new year under intensifying and deadly Russian attacks which have crippled energy systems and left millions without heating, electricity or water amid freezing temperatures, senior UN officials told the Security Council on Monday. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told ambassadors the start […]

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe UN Secretary-General António Guterres. (file photo)

UN chief ‘shocked’ by reports of excessive force against protesters in Iran

January 12, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN Secretary-General is shocked by reports of violence and excessive use of force by Iranian authorities against protesters across the country, urging restraint and the immediate restoration of communications as unrest enters its third week. “All Iranians must be able to express their grievances peacefully and […]

Ukraine: New strikes disrupt basic services for millions

January 9, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Several parts of Ukraine were hit by a new wave of Russian strikes between Wednesday and Thursday morning. The attacks over the last 24 hours left civilians reportedly killed and injured in the port city of Odesa, interrupting power and water supplies there, as well as in […]