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From · act followup · 2026-02-05 SP-2026-02-05-TA-10-2025-0320 Follow up to T10-0320/2025

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To · opinion parliamentary committee draft · 2025-06-06 TRAN-PA-774234 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2021/694, (EU) 2021/695, (EU) 2021/697, (EU) 2021/1153, (EU) 2023/1525 and 2024/795, as regards incentivising defence-related investments in the EU budget to implement the ReArm Europe Plan

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~~ORDINARY LEGISLATIVE procedure~~

PA_Legam

Follow up to the European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2021/694, (EU) 2021/695, (EU) 2021/697, (EU) 2021/1153, (EU) 2023/1525 and 2024/795, as regards incentivising defence-related investments in the EU budget to implement the ReArm Europe Plan

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

~~1. Rapporteur: Rihards KOLS (ECR / LV)~~

The EU’s ability to move military assets swiftly and effectively across its territory has become a strategic imperative amid growing geopolitical instability. Military mobility is central not only to security and defence but also to economic resilience and civilian transport development. Upgrading critical cross-border infrastructure is essential to enhance dual-use capabilities, enabling both military deployments and civilian use.

~~2. References: 2025/0103(COD) / A10-0172/2025 / P10_TA(2025)0320~~

Despite the adoption of the EU Action Plan on Military Mobility 2.0, the current 2021–2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) allocates only €790 million to military mobility under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), far short of what is needed to address bottlenecks and priority corridors.

~~3. Date of adoption of the resolution: 16 December 2025~~

While the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund play a vital role in supporting transport infrastructure, their decentralised, shared-management structure limits their ability to prioritise strategic, cross-border military mobility projects.

~~4. Legal basis: Articles 114, 164, 172, 173, Article 175, third paragraph, Articles 176, 177 and 178, 182, 183, 188, 192(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)~~

To address this shortfall, the European Commission proposes a temporary, voluntary mechanism allowing Member States to transfer Cohesion Fund resources to the CEF. This would be accompanied by amendments to the CEF Regulation, ensuring that transferred resources benefit from the same pre-financing and co-financing conditions as under cohesion policy. This reallocation would allow the CEF to enhance governance, streamline implementation, and ensure strategic alignment with EU defence and transport priorities.

~~5. Competent Parliamentary Committee: Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)~~

The rapporteur supports this targeted measure as a necessary interim solution for the 2025–2027 period. It would preserve progress made under the Military Mobility Action Plan, maintain investment momentum, and prepare the ground for a more ambitious, dedicated funding approach in the next MFF.

~~6. Commission's position: accepts all amendments.~~

The CEF’s direct management model offers clear governance advantages over shared-management instruments. It ensures effective project selection, central coordination, and EU-level transparency. Moreover, investment in dual-use infrastructure benefits both military readiness and civilian connectivity, particularly in peripheral and cross-border regions. These projects support cohesion policy goals while delivering clear EU added value.

Lastly, the rapporteur stresses the importance of transparency and oversight in the implementation of this mechanism. All projects financed through transferred funds must adhere to CEF’s monitoring and reporting standards. Regular Commission updates on the use of reallocated resources will be crucial to ensure the efficiency and accountability of this approach.

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Transport and Tourism submits the following to the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, as the committee responsible:

Amendment 1

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 15

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(15) Military mobility is also one of the objectives of the CEF programme. The Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030 recognised military mobility as an essential enabler for European security and defence and stressed the Union added-value in supporting dual-use infrastructure for mobility. The mid-term review of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund both established by Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council10 introduced the possibility to invest in defence or dual use infrastructure to foster military mobility benefiting from a pre-financing of 30% of the amounts programmed and the possibility to apply a Union financing of up to 100%. In cases where Member States transfer resources allocated to them in shared management to CEF they should benefit from the same conditions on pre-financing and co-financing for dual-use transport infrastructure projects as introduced in the ERDF and Cohesion Fund. In such a case, these amounts should be reserved to projects developing the Military Mobility corridors as identified by the Member States in Military Requirements for Military Mobility within and beyond the Union as well as digital connectivity and capacities.

(15) Military mobility is also one of the objectives of the CEF programme. The Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030 recognised military mobility as an essential enabler for European security and defence and stressed the Union added-value in supporting dual-use infrastructure for mobility. Given the 94% overlap between the military mobility corridors and TEN-T dual use infrastructure, funding of military mobility will necessarily also benefit civilian use. The mid-term review of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund both established by Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council10 introduced the possibility to invest in defence or dual use infrastructure to foster military mobility benefiting from a pre-financing of 30% of the amounts programmed and the possibility to apply a Union financing of up to 100%. In cases where Member States transfer resources allocated to them in shared management to CEF they should benefit from the same conditions on pre-financing and co-financing for dual-use transport infrastructure projects as introduced in the ERDF and Cohesion Fund. In such a case, these amounts should be reserved to projects developing the Military Mobility corridors as identified by the Member States in Military Requirements for Military Mobility within and beyond the Union as well as digital connectivity and capacities.

_________________

10. Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund (OJ L 231 30.6.2021, p. 60, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1058/2024-12-24)

Or. en

Amendment 2

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 15 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(15a) In order to accelerate the swift and seamless movement of military personnel, materiel and assets within the Union, Member States are encouraged to cooperate closely to achieve a swift upgrading of the “hot spots” infrastructure within the four military mobility corridors, and particularly focus on the cross-border sections of these corridors, which have an impact in the short term.

Or. en

Amendment 3

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 15 b (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(15b) When establishing the work programmes in accordance with Article 20, the Commission should give particular consideration to projects using materials and technologies available in the Union.

Or. en

Amendment 4

Proposal for a regulation

Article 4 – paragraph 4

Regulation (EU) 2021/1153

Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point ba – point i

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(i) co-financing rates may be increased to a maximum of 100%;

(i) co-financing rates may be increased to a maximum of 100%; this maximum co-financing rate shall in particular apply to the hot spots and cross-border sections within the four priority Military Mobility Corridors identified by the Commission.

Or. en

Amendment 5

Proposal for a regulation

Article 4 – paragraph 4

Regulation (EU) 2021/1153

Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point ba – point iii

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(iii) actions shall be located on one or more of the four EU Priority Military Mobility Corridors identified by Member States in Annex II to the Military Requirements for Military Mobility within and beyond the Union, as adopted by the Council on [18 March 2025 and with reference ST 6728/25 ADD1], prioritising actions applying to the hot spots and cross-border sections of these corridors, which have an impact in the short term, and shall comply with the infrastructure requirements as set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1328; preference shall be given to the use of materials and technologies available in the Union, where appropriate.

Or. en