Europe cannot defend itself if its armies cannot move. Brussels now estimates it could cost around €100bn to fix the roads, railways, bridges and ports that troops would need during a crisis.
There are over 500 ‘infrastructure hotspots’ and four ‘major military mobility corridors’ throughout the continent. The hotspots are areas that pose challenges due to inadequate infrastructure or limitations caused by inadequate design. These factors limit the movement of troops, supplies and equipment.
“We cannot defend our continent unless we can move quickly across it,” Commissioner for Transport Apostolos Tzitzikostas told a military mobility panel at the Connecting Europe Days.
The Commission estimates that upgrades to more than 500 projects could cost around €100bn in the coming years. He said €17bn would come from the Connecting Europe Facility, an EU fund for major transport projects. Brussels expects other EU funds, national governments, the European Investment Bank, and private investors to help cover the rest.
Europe’s armies still face border delays
Money is merely one obstacle. European armies also face different rules when they cross national borders. Mr Tzitzikostas said military forces can wait weeks for permits to move troops or equipment from one EU country to another. For that Brussels has a way out, one called a ‘military Schengen’. The idea is simple. Armies should move across Europe more easily, just as people travel across much of the EU without routine border checks.
It’s unthinkable to discuss bureaucracy and paperwork when we’re talking about crisis and war. — Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU transport commissioner
while the plan would introduce clearer crossborder permissions, common procedures and a digital system, the commissioner also wants the EU to complete its most important infrastructure hotspots by 2030.
The weaknesses already show up during military exercises. Mr Tzitzikostas described an exercise that tried to move a brigade from a North Sea port towards Europe’s eastern flank. Infrastructure problems and slow permissions turned the journey into a process that took months.
Bridges and railways can stop an army
The commissioner also pointed to a US military exercise that moved forces from Portugal towards the Baltic states. According to the Commissioner, the forces ran into trouble in the Pyrenees because some bridges could not support the required weight.
The Commission now wants to strengthen bridges, widen tunnels, improve railways and deepen ports. In normal times, most of the infrastructure would serve its regular civilian purposes.
Mr Tzitzikostas stressed this dual purpose. He said citizens would use military mobility infrastructure “99 per cent of the time”. Better connections could therefore support trade and everyday transport as well as defence.
“We are late”
The war in Ukraine has pushed military mobility higher up Europe’s agenda. Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias argued that Europe spent decades assuming that it did not need to invest enough in its own defence infrastructure. Now it has to catch up. “We are late, so we have to move very, very quickly,” he said.
Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius also warned that infrastructure alone will not solve the problem. Europe needs enough trucks, trains and other logistics capacity to move large numbers of soldiers and equipment. Mr Kubilius gave the example of a 5,000-strong brigade. Moving it by road could create a convoy up to 12 kilometres long, he said.
“The battles are won by infantry, the wars are won by logistics,” the commissioner said. His use of the quote by US General John Pershing could not have a better timing.
Protect what Europe built
New infrastructure creates another challenge: Europe must defend it. Railways, ports and bridges that help armies move would become important targets during a conflict. Mr Kubilius pointed to Ukraine, where Russian attacks have repeatedly targeted critical infrastructure. He argued that Europe needs stronger protection for its transport network.
At the moment, as European Union, we are not very much involved into how member states are taking care about defence of their transport infrastructure. Andrius Kubilius, EU defence commissioner
That could add another layer of costs to the €100bn infrastructure bill. Europe would not only have to build and upgrade strategic routes. It would also have to protect them from drones, cyberattacks, and sabotage.
The plans also connect with Europe’s changing eastern geography. Commissioner Tzitzikostas highlighted a transport corridor linking Greece with Bulgaria and Romania. From there, the route can continue towards Moldova and Ukraine, while also connecting with Central Europe. The corridor would combine modern road and rail links.
Ukraine and Moldova
Brussels sees it as more than a military route. It could also improve trade and everyday transport between southeastern and central Europe. The panel did not present the project as part of the EU’s enlargement agenda; yet the geography matters in these cases.
Ukraine and Moldova are EU candidate countries. Better connections towards them could become increasingly important as Europe strengthens its eastern transport and security links. Minister Dendias pointed to the same corridor as an example of how Europe could improve both connectivity and resilience.
Europe must now turn its defence ambitions into infrastructure that works when it matters. That means securing investment, removing border delays and strengthening key transport routes against disruption and attack. The timetable is tight: military Schengen by 2027, priority infrastructure projects by 2030. The real test will be whether troops and heavy equipment can cross Europe in days rather than weeks, or even months.
