In a debate hosted in Brussels by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), high-level speakers underlined the strategic importance of making comprehensive use of transport to step up the European Union’s ability to respond to present and future crises.

The EU must look beyond military hardware and adopt a broader approach to its defence if it wants to achieve thorough preparedness. This future vision must include greater civilian-military cooperation and forward-looking dual-use planning of physical infrastructure, as well as administrative regulation.

This was the main finding of the debate on the Dual-use of the trans-European transport network: are we prepared for crisis situations? hosted by the EESC’s Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN) on 14 January 2025, which featured prominent speakers.

Baiba Miltoviča, the president of the TEN section, stressed that ‘the EU needs to adopt a more comprehensive approach to its civilian and military preparedness. Europe’s defence and resilience must not solely rely on traditional notions of military strength such as weapons and advanced technology. Instead, we must recognise that the foundation of preparedness is multifaceted. It demands robust infrastructure, innovative planning, and seamless cooperation between civilian and military sectors.’

In the same vein, Kaspars Briškens, Latvia’s Minister for Transport, pointed out that strengthening Europe’s transport infrastructure was vital for both its security and its economic growth: ‘Projects like Rail Baltica demonstrate how integrating civilian and military mobility can create a resilient, connected network that drives regional development and reinforces our collective security. The plans are clear and work has already started, therefore all efforts should be dedicated to mobilising the necessary financing to completing the European dual-use projects already identified.’

Deepening the dual civilian-military approach in transport

Over the last few decades, European infrastructure has been primarily designed for civilian purposes. This has left Europe vulnerable in times of crisis and, to address these shortcomings, the EU must now rethink its approach to developing its infrastructure and processes.

The rapid movement of military assets across borders during a crisis might become a problem if the infrastructure required, such as roads or railways, is lacking, but also if we do not have streamlined and flexible administrative procedures, customs checks, and logistics hubs. Outdated and insufficiently equipped infrastructure and capabilities must be modernised and upgraded to ensure that they do not become bottlenecks in moments of critical need.

An important example here is the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), which has a pivotal role to play in ensuring that Europe’s military forces can move swiftly and efficiently when needed. Progress is already underway and the updated TEN-T Regulation now requires the Member States to take military mobility needs into account when building or upgrading infrastructure on the network.

In addition, the civilian sector also has a crucial role to play in supporting efforts during major crises and not only when security is at stake. Robust civilian-military partnerships are no longer optional but have now become essential in dealing with shared challenges such as climate change and energy security. These modern crises create new vulnerabilities and amplify existing ones, such as extreme weather events, resource scarcity and energy supply disruptions, which can undermine both civilian life and military operations.

To achieve greater cooperation and improve both civilian and military mobility, the EU needs new funding. So far, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) has allocated EUR 1.7 billion to dual-use transport infrastructure and co-funded 95 military mobility projects in 21 countries. To qualify for EU co-funding, transport infrastructure projects must demonstrate that they will serve both civilian and military purposes and align with the TEN-T framework. This approach not only maximises the value from public investment but also ensures that Europe’s infrastructure is resilient and versatile.

The floor to the experts

During the debate, Philippe Chantraine from the European Commission’s DG MOVE said that all EU Member States needed to improve their national infrastructure to be really prepared for future crises. He mentioned the EU’s growing involvement in military mobility and referred to the European Action Plan on Military Mobility 2022-2026 which focuses on investment in dual-use transport infrastructure along the TEN-T, with the aim of accelerating, digitalising and streamlining national procedures and processes.

NATO’s Hasit Thankey emphasised that the security environment in Europe had changed and that the EU needed to be better prepared for crises in order to deter conflict. The CEF had played a big role but the Member States now needed to actively work together to improve crisis preparedness in Europe, making sure that investment matched the need for military capacities, otherwise it might be too late to prepare.

Jakub Siwiński, representing the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure, said that given the geopolitical situation, investments in transport infrastructure should include dual-use parameters because this type of investment could significantly enhance military mobility and crisis-response capabilities. He added that the transport sector needed stable financing under the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) post-2027.

Focusing on the logistics and supply chain industry, Nicolette Van der Jagt from CLECAT, the European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services, maintained that transport was not just a sector but an enabler for the European market, its competitiveness and its security. She stressed that, in order to increase the EU’s preparedness, it was important to boost cooperation among all actors, innovation and sustainability.

Finally, Inga Birzgale, representing the National Youth Council of Latvia (LJP), provided the point of view of young people and said that it was high time for the necessary resources to be invested in transport projects that were future-proof and respected values such as social inclusion and sustainability. This attitude was essential to help build trust and lead to a society with greater solidarity.