“So projects that are ready to be implemented in the years to come. And this resulted in these 500 hotspot projects that we defined together with all member States, but also with military experts, especially from EU military staff and NATO side. And what we are doing now is to align those investments amongst member states, because, of course, investing in widening railway bridges on one side of the border only makes sense if we do it on the other side of the border too. And this is, of course, a huge cooperation corporation projects process that we are currently embarking. In my last words, of course. All this has a price tag to it, and you rightly stated the huge investment needs that are needed to bring our 20 up to military standards. For this reason, the Commission has proposed an ambitious MFF proposal and even a ten fold increase of the military mobility budget under the CEF. So a €17.65 billion. But of course, also, I heard you today saying, I mean, it's not enough and we need to be creative, I think was the word that one of you mentioned in mobilising all types of funding and financing for military mobility purposes, and the commission is, of course, certainly at your side. And we are also on our side investigating in in all possibilities to mobilise the funding. We need, uh, to make our military mobility corridors really, uh, coming up to reality and to up to military standards. So thank you very much for your report, and I kindly call on your support also for our upcoming military mobility package. Thanks.”
Relations with NATO · EU competences on defence · EU support of rail transport
“Thank you very much. Honourable members of the Parliament. Thank you also from my side for your kind invitation and especially also for your report, which really comes very timely in order to best shape our military mobility package on DG move side. Of course, in close coordination with DG Davis we work particularly on two strands. So on one side on simplifying existing EU legislation in the transport field. But then also the second strand is on infrastructure and this is what I will focus my intervention on, on infrastructure. I appreciate that your report highlights really, the importance of making the Ten-t network fit for purpose, fit for a dual use. So for the civilian and for the military purpose. And this is also recognised by the way, in the new Ten-t regulation that we jointly adopted last year. To this end, to make our Ten-t network really fit for a military mobility purpose, we established these four military mobility corridors, as you know, and this is a truly flagship project of EU, NATO cooperation that you also called upon. We very closely cooperate with NATO in this regard in making these four military mobility corridors actually compliant with military standards and to realize them as a matter of urgency. And we also cooperate very closely with all ministries of defense and ministries of transport. Again, an aspect that you clearly highlighted in your report, because without a good cooperation amongst all Member States, we will not be getting there. What we are currently doing on those four military mobility corridors is to analyse where the gaps and bottlenecks are. And of course there are many. And you rightly stated that, of course, we will not probably be able to implement and upgrade the infrastructure entirely in the next years by 2030, which is why we are looking at the moment at really the the choke points, where where are the critical gaps that need to be upgraded as a matter of urgency and where we also can see quick wins.”
Relations with NATO · EU competences on defence · EU transport infrastructure integration