EU’s “Military Schengen” Moment to Speed Troops and Advance Defence Tech
- ridenspa
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
On 19 November 2025, the European Commission has unveiled a new Military Mobility Package and adopted its Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap. The message bluntly calls for speed: Europe’s security depends on getting forces across borders faster and getting new technology into service quicker.
Why Now?
Europe is moving toward real-time readiness. Under the Commission’s Readiness 2030 agenda, military mobility and defence-industrial scale-up are treated as key enablers of deterrence and rapid reinforcement. The November 2025 package is intended to turn these ambitions into operational reality.
What Does it Deliver?
By 2027, the European Commission aims to realise a “Military Schengen”: an EU-wide military mobility area where troops, equipment, and supplies can move with speed and predictability across member states. Some notable initiatives include:
Harmonised permitting and simplified customs processes.
Guaranteed priority access to military transport in case of emergency, enabling urgent movements within hours rather than days.
Upgraded dual-use corridors, plus stronger resilience measures, especially against cyber, energy, and hybrid threats.
Expanded shared capacity via a Solidarity Pool, increasing the availability of mobility assets and services.
The draft regulation now moves to the Council and European Parliament for negotiation and adoption.
What About Defence Tech?
Adopted the same day, the Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap argues the advantage of rapid iteration, dual-use breakthroughs, modular systems, and mass-scalable low-cost tools on the battlefield. Below some key initiatives:
Increased financial support for “New Defence” firms.
Accelerate time-to-market by running rapid defence-innovation pilots, widening access to test facilities, and more flexible manufacturing models.
Improve access to defence contracts and procurement, through EUDIS Tech Alliances and a dedicated defence-tech marketplace
Strengthen the talent base in AI, cyber, quantum, autonomy, and advanced manufacturing
From Single Market to Defence Multiplier
The Commission’s November package is Europe’s sharpest move yet toward defence readiness: a legal fast lane for military movement by 2027, and a tech-driven overhaul aimed at 2030 deterrence. If adopted and properly funded, it could turn Europe’s single market into a real defence force-multiplier: able to move faster, build smarter, and act together.