Skip to content
EU Parl Watch

opinion parliamentary committee draft, 6 June 2025

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

Document TRAN-PA-774234 · (COM(2025)0188 – C100070/2025 – 2025/0103(COD))

Committee on Transport and Tourism · Rapporteur: Marjan Šarec

On Parliament’s site PDF Word

AI:In short

This draft opinion supports the Commission's proposal to allow Member States to transfer Cohesion Fund resources to the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for defence-related investments, particularly military mobility, for 2025–2027. It proposes amendments to ensure transferred funds benefit from same pre-financing and co-financing conditions as cohesion policy, prioritise hot spots and cross-border sections of military mobility corridors, and use EU-made materials and technologies.

Position. The Committee on Transport and Tourism proposes amendments to the Commission proposal, supporting the transfer mechanism but adding conditions on prioritisation and EU content.

Key points

  1. Supports the temporary, voluntary mechanism for Member States to transfer Cohesion Fund resources to CEF for military mobility, as an interim solution for 2025–2027.
  2. Notes that current MFF allocates only €790 million to military mobility under CEF, insufficient to address bottlenecks.
  3. Calls for transferred resources to benefit from same pre-financing and co-financing conditions as under ERDF and Cohesion Fund, including up to 100% Union financing.
  4. Urges Member States to cooperate on upgrading hot spots and cross-border sections of the four military mobility corridors, which have short-term impact.
  5. Requests the Commission to give particular consideration to projects using materials and technologies available in the Union when establishing work programmes.
  6. Proposes that maximum co-financing rate of 100% apply especially to hot spots and cross-border sections within the four priority Military Mobility Corridors.
  7. Requires actions to be located on the four EU Priority Military Mobility Corridors, prioritising hot spots and cross-border sections, and comply with infrastructure requirements of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1328.
  8. Stresses the importance of transparency and oversight, with all projects adhering to CEF monitoring and reporting standards and regular Commission updates.

Who is affected

  • Member States: can transfer Cohesion Fund resources to CEF for military mobility projects, with conditions similar to cohesion policy.
  • Transport infrastructure projects on military mobility corridors: may receive higher co-financing and priority for hot spots and cross-border sections.
  • EU manufacturers: preference for materials and technologies available in the Union in funded projects.

Figures and deadlines

  • €790 million: current allocation to military mobility under CEF in the 2021–2027 MFF.
  • 30%: pre-financing rate for defence or dual-use infrastructure under ERDF and Cohesion Fund.
  • 100%: maximum Union financing rate for dual-use transport infrastructure projects.

Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem

Full text

Jump to an amendment (5)
Short justification 38 paragraphs

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Read the rest (26 paragraphs)
Text proposed by the CommissionAmendment
(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)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 CommissionAmendment
(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 CommissionAmendment
(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 CommissionAmendment
(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 CommissionAmendment
(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] and shall comply with the infrastructure requirements as set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1328.(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