On 24 February, the Council’s Ad hoc Working Party on Military Mobility met in Brussels as part of the ongoing implementation of the EU’s military mobility agenda. Discussions at EU level continue to emphasise the need to strengthen the preparedness of Europe’s transport network by ensuring that key infrastructure can fulfil both civilian and defence-related functions when required.
Recent Commission policy work has reinforced this direction by linking resilience and preparedness objectives to improvements in dual-use transport infrastructure along EU Military Mobility corridors. In practical terms, this approach aims to enhance the capacity of transport nodes to support the rapid movement of equipment and essential supplies in crisis scenarios, while maintaining the efficiency of commercial logistics operations in normal conditions.
For ports and terminal operators, these developments reflect an evolving policy environment in which maritime gateways are increasingly recognised as strategic logistics platforms contributing not only to trade facilitation but also to crisis response and supply chain continuity. FEPORT has consistently highlighted that unlocking the full dual-use potential of port infrastructure may require targeted adaptation beyond standard commercial investment cycles, including in areas such as handling capacity, secure storage zones and digital coordination systems.
Ensuring that these additional requirements are accompanied by adequate funding instruments and predictable investment conditions will therefore be essential to enable ports to contribute effectively to Europe’s preparedness objectives without undermining their competitiveness as commercial logistics hubs.
