‘Our potential enemies are watching’: EU lawmakers press for speed in military mobility talks

EU lawmakers say they are inching closer to an agreement with Member States on the bloc’s Military Mobility Regulation, but some of the most sensitive questions for rail freight, including emergency rules and protections for civilian transport, remain unresolved. “Our potential enemies are looking at how successful we will be with this file,” one of Parliament’s negotiators warned, saying Europe could no longer afford to spend “years and years” getting military mobility working.

Representatives from the European Parliament, Council and Commission met on Tuesday for the second round of trilogue talks on the Military Mobility Regulation, the legislative part of the EU’s wider Military Mobility Package, aimed at creating a so-called “military Schengen”.

Speaking after the meeting, Parliament’s lead negotiators Roberts Zīle and Michał Szczerba described the talks as “very productive”, showing “how much importance all three institutions attach to this regulation.” Details of what was actually agreed remain scant — “I can’t disclose the specific compromises agreed today,” Szczerba said — although he did reveal that Tuesday’s talks covered close partners, Ukraine and Moldova, interrupted military transport and the functionality of the planned system.

This story was originally published by RailFreight.com. Read the full story at RailFreight.com →