{"id":584470,"date":"2025-11-21T10:06:22","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T10:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/584470\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T10:06:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T10:06:22","slug":"unife-welcomes-military-mobility-package","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/584470\/","title":{"rendered":"UNIFE welcomes Military Mobility Package"},"content":{"rendered":"

UNIFE, the European Rail Supply Industry Association, strongly welcomes the European Commission\u2019s newly unveiled Military Mobility Package, a milestone initiative to reinforce the European Union\u2019s defence readiness<\/a> through more interoperable, resilient and responsive transport systems.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"MilitaryPhoto: Bundesheer (Austrian Armed Forces)<\/p>\n

The package aims at addressing long-standing bottlenecks and ensuring that improvements made for military mobility will directly enhance the speed, efficiency and safety of civilian passenger and freight rail services across the EU.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe European rail supply industry welcomes the European Commission\u2019s communication on military mobility, as it effectively highlights the current challenges and the critical lack of interoperability that hinders effective military mobility today. It is now time for urgent action to be taken, with immediate implementation of measures that can enhance military mobility without delay. This is a crucial step towards strengthening the European defense infrastructure and ensuring the seamless deployment of forces across borders in times of need,\u201d said UNIFE Director General Enno Wiebe.<\/p>\n

To ensure the Military Mobility Package delivers its full potential, UNIFE says that the European rail supply industry will work with EU institutions, Member States, infrastructure managers and operators, and the association offers its support in an advisory role to the newly proposed Military Mobility Transport Group.<\/p>\n

Thosed Regulation notably strengthens the role of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) by making the preparedness of the Union rail system for military mobility a core part of this remit, for which UNIFE is committed to supporting ERA in streamlining the vehicle authorisation and registration processes to speed up the deployment of interoperable rolling stock and enhancing the resilience of the railway system.<\/p>\n

In addition, UNIFE stands ready to work together with the European Commission, ERA and European Standardisation Organisations (CEN, CENELEC, ETSI) to review the current technical specifications and standards to meet military requirements and deliver \u201cdual-use by design.\u201d<\/p>\n

UNIFE says that further joint Research and Innovation to support enhanced military mobility capabilities should be secured under the current and next Horizon Europe Framework Programme. We must ensure a successor for the Europe\u2019s Rail Joint Undertaking to coordinate the development and deployment of these innovations facilitating military mobility.<\/p>\n

Regarding the infrastructure and rolling stock investment, the association highlights that the investments made under this package, notably to address the 500 cross-border infrastructure hotspots, will undoubtably benefit the European railways system and civilian use as a whole. Creating an efficient, resilience, high capacity and truly interoperable dual-use railway system, building on the TEN-T network together with the full deployment of ERTMS\u00ae, is not only an enabler for military mobility but for Europe\u2019s economy and society.<\/p>\n

UNIFE further welcomes the plans for improved governance and coordination, including the establishment of National Coordinators for Cross-Border Military Transport, a new Military Mobility Transport Group and an enhanced TEN-T Committee. These structures will provide clearer responsibilities and ensure more efficient cross-border cooperation.<\/p>\n

The Regulation provides the basis to acquire transport assets with the support of the upcoming European Competitiveness Fund (ECF). This is an opportunity to invest in dual-use interoperable cross-border rolling stock which could then become part of the Solidarity Pool foreseen in the Regulation. Those investments need to abide the European preference principle while excluding high-risk third country suppliers.<\/p>\n

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