A new report from the European Court of Auditors reveals that bureaucratic obstacles and logistical failures are severely hindering military mobility within the European Union.
According to a recent report from the EU’s financial watchdog, the bloc lacks the capacity to rapidly deploy significant military forces within its own territory. The report concludes that bureaucratic hurdles and disorganized logistical planning would impede swift deployment.
The ECA’s statement accompanying the report notes that despite spending its entire allocated budget (€1.7 billion) for improving military logistics between 2021 and 2027, the EU failed to achieve its goal of ensuring the efficient movement of military personnel, equipment, and supplies. The report indicates that funds were exhausted by the end of 2023, and significant delays in moving troops and equipment remain likely.
The report highlights that member states require 45 days’ advance notice for cross-border military movements. Furthermore, tanks may be prohibited from entering a neighboring EU country simply because they exceed the latter’s weight limits for road traffic. The report also notes that military logistical routes may include unsuitable infrastructure, such as bridges incapable of supporting heavy equipment, forcing significant detours.
The ECA attributes these shortcomings to flawed planning and management. The report states that the governance structure for military mobility in the EU is overly complex and fragmented, lacking a central point of contact that would clarify roles and responsibilities.
With the allocated budget depleted, the ECA warns of a substantial four-year funding gap before additional resources become available. The report points out that funding has been disproportionately concentrated in the eastern EU, with minimal investment in southern routes toward Ukraine.
The ECA, an independent auditing body with members appointed by each EU state, has consistently criticized Brussels’ defense policy initiatives in recent years.
In 2024, the ECA reported that the European Defense Industry Program, despite its €1.5 billion budget, may fall short of its targets due to an imbalance between policy aims, funding, and implementation timelines. The report suggested that this could lead to resources being spread thinly across numerous projects without a demonstrable impact at the EU level.
In 2023, the ECA criticized the EU’s long-standing lack of a comprehensive strategy for defense spending, and later warned that financial aid to Kyiv could increase the bloc’s debt by tens of billions of euros due to the potential inability of Ukraine to repay its loans.