The EU's so-called Schengen cooperation means that EU citizens do not need to show their passports and queue at the borders when traveling between member countries.
However, for military personnel and all their equipment, freedom of movement is not as simple, with national permit requirements and varying degrees of bureaucracy.
The European Commission now wants to change that in fresh proposals for better "military mobility".
The faster we can move our forces, the stronger our deterrence will be. We need to talk about days, not weeks, says Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas at a press conference.
The idea is that it should take a maximum of three days to obtain a permit. One and the same permit should also be valid in all 27 member states. A special framework should also be created for situations where "significantly more" military personnel need to be moved and given priority compared to other travelers, while normal traffic rules may need to be disregarded.
Wiktor Nummelin/TT
Facts: EU on military mobility
TT
A proposal for improved “military mobility” has been presented by the European Commission to facilitate border crossings and simplify licensing for military personnel and military equipment in the EU.
The Commission also wants to allocate the equivalent of 190 billion Swedish kronor in the next long-term budget to roads, railways and other infrastructure that can improve military mobility.
A plan has also been developed for how the European defense industry should develop, not least to keep up with the development of new weapons systems and technologies.
