The European Commission said on Thursday that it has proposed a new Action Plan on Military Mobility to increase the bloc's defense capabilities against possible military threats and those to critical infrastructure of member states
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th November, 2022) The European Commission said on Thursday that it has proposed a new Action Plan on Military Mobility to increase the bloc's defense capabilities against possible military threats and those to critical infrastructure of member states.
"Today, the Commission and the High Representative put forward an Action Plan on Military Mobility 2.0 ... to address the deteriorating security environment ... and to boost the EU's capacity to protect its citizens and infrastructure," the message read.
The new plan covers the period 2022-2026 and includes a number of areas: protecting transport infrastructure from cyberattacks, enhancing the mobility of the armed forces by "maximizing synergies" with the civilian sector and digitalizing administrative processes related to military mobility systems, according to the Commission.
The European Commission also noted that the new Action Plan will be supported with EU funding instruments such as the Connecting Europe Facility and the European Defense Fund.
Under the plan, the EU is also going to reinforce cooperation with NATO as well as seek close ties with regional partners including Ukraine, Moldova and countries in the Western Balkans.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at a press conference that the security environment in Europe had changed significantly and the EU must adapt its capabilities to increase military mobility.
"We need to adapt our mobility system in order for our troops be able to transport and deploy quickly all their military capacities. This is critical for our defense. The capacity to move troops and equipment quickly from one side of the EU to the other side of the EU, from the West to the East mainly, to our external borders," Borrell said.
He added that at the moment, civilian infrastructure is used to transport military equipment, which is not always suitable for this.
In 2018, the European Commission adopted the first Action Plan on Military Mobility aimed at strengthening military cooperation within the bloc and creating "secure and resilient transport infrastructure and capabilities." The new plan is supported through other EU defense initiatives, including the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) Military Mobility project and Logistical Hubs project.
