Simplified military mobility procedures underway
Fourteen members of the European Union (EU) have signed an agreement to simplify military mobility procedures, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence announced on 14 May.
The programme will aim to simplify cross-border military movements among participating countries over the next two years and to develop an advance permit system, similar to diplomatic permits for flights. The managing committee of the programme, chaired by Lithuania, will supervise the implementation and provide guidelines to subordinate expert tasks forces which will develop technical requirements.
To date, participating countries include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Spain, Croatia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden and Romania.
Raimundas Karoblis, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence, said: ‘As the ones who hold the eastern border of NATO, we find it particularly important that allied troops with equipment are able to come to our help in case of a crisis without facing bureaucratic procedural obstacles when crossing EU states’ borders.
'When the agreement we have just signed is implemented, allies crossing the borders of the signatory countries will have to comply with the same rules, follow the same procedures, and meet the same timeline.’
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Spain unveils new multi-billion euro defence investment plan]()
Spain unveils new multi-billion euro defence investment plan
The new plan outlined how Spain would reach 2% of its GDP spend on defence by 2025, with €1.9 billion earmarked for new equipment acquisition with several land, naval and air platforms disclosed to be replaced or upgraded.
-
![New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia]()
New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia
This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.
-
![UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”]()
UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”
Rachel Reeves announced port upgrades, protected budgets for innovation and investment in novel technologies.
-
![Avalon 2025: Australian defence budget meets the low expectations of show attendees]()
Avalon 2025: Australian defence budget meets the low expectations of show attendees
The Australian Budget was marked by tax cuts and a looming general election which led to little hope that there would be a substantial defence boost even with a big bill for nuclear submarines due.
-
![Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market]()
Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market
The communications company Gilat launched its new Gilat Defense division at the Satellite 2025 expo, with future solutions aimed at US military customers.
