EU unveils ´Military Schengen´ plan to speed troop movement

The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled a new package on military mobility and a defense industry transformation roadmap, as part of its broader push to strengthen Europe's defense readiness, reported Xinhua. The proposed package on military mobility aimed to create a European Union (EU)-wide military mobility area by 2027, a step toward establishing what the bloc describes as a "Military Schengen," so that troops and military equipment can move faster across the EU, according to a press release by the Commission. Under the proposal, the EU would adopt its first EU-level rules on military mobility and cut the processing time for cross-border military movements to a maximum of three days. It would also set up a system for fast-track procedures and priority access to infrastructure and support forces operating under EU or NATO frameworks. The EU also plans to introduce a capability-sharing mechanism to improve member states' overall military preparedness and availability of mobility capabilities, according to the release. In the roadmap, the EU noted that it will promote closer integration between technology and defense, step up the use of frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, drones and space systems in military capabilities, and boost Europe's production capacity through innovation. The Commission said it will present the proposed regulation on military mobility to the Council of the EU and the European Parliament for adoption, and will immediately start work on the roadmap.