EU Commission requests perspectives on its Military Mobility Package

Symbolic picture by Buffik on Pixabay

The European Commission is launching a focused stakeholder consultation to improve the mobility of military personnel, materiel, and assets within and beyond the European Union.

This move aligns with a Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030, previously released on 19 March 2025. The Military Mobility Package will include three key initiatives: a Joint Communication, a Proposed Regulation, and a Proposal for Targeted Amendments to EU Legislation.

The Commission has opened a call for evidence and launched a targeted stakeholder consultation from mid-June to end-August 2025. The consultation process includes an EU survey, submission of research and position papers, and bilateral meetings.

The Joint Communication will articulate the EU’s strategic objectives for strengthening preparedness through an optimised military mobility framework, while the Proposed Regulation will establish a unified regulatory framework to harmonise national procedures and ensure seamless military movements across Europe. The Proposal for Targeted Amendments to EU Legislation will modify existing transport legislation to better accommodate military mobility requirements.

Access the survey using the European Commission website by clicking here 

Local Alliance policy brief reveals involvement deficits of local and regional governments in national Social Climate Plans

Local Alliance Policy Brief

A new policy brief from the Local Alliance, a coalition of Europe’s leading city and regional networks, has revealed that local and regional governments are often excluded from national planning decisions that directly affect their communities.

The briefing calls on Member States and the European Commission to reinforce multilevel governance and involve regional and local governments in the planning and implementation of the Social Climate Fund (SCF). The revised Emissions Trading System (ETS2) and the SCF are central to achieving the EU’s 2030 climate goals, with the latter aiming to protect vulnerable households at risk of energy or transport poverty.

The briefing is based on a follow-up survey conducted by the coalition’s member organisations between April and May 2025, which builds on a previous briefing and survey that already highlighted member states‘ failure to meet key requirements of the SCF Regulation, particularly with Articles 4 and 5 on public consultations. With the deadline for nSCPs fast approaching, Member States still have a critical opportunity to collaborate meaningfully with local and regional authorities both in design and implementation.

Sources: 

POLIS 

Local Alliance Policy Brief 

German railway associations call for a binding allocation of spending for railway infrastructure

The establishment law for the federal government’s €500 billion special fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality is being debated. Railway associations are calling for binding commitments on fund allocation and flexibility in drawdown.

The draft bill already includes basic regulatory standards, allowing funds for additional investments and not ongoing measures. The associations‘ joint position paper calls for a binding allocation of sufficient funds for railway infrastructure, clarification that the special fund is an addition to the regular budget, and that the funds can be used independently of the budget year. They also suggest a binding allocation of at least EUR 130 billion for railway infrastructure.

The paper was signed by Allianz pro Schiene, the Federal Association of Local Rail Transport, Die Güterbahnen/NEE, Mofair, Pro Bahn, and VDV.

Sources(in German): 

Eurailexpress.de 

Position Paper (in German)