On 17 March, the European Parliament published the draft report of the joint TRAN-SEDE committees on the proposed Military Mobility Regulation. The report underlines that the preparedness and resilience of transport infrastructure are central to the functioning of military mobility and calls on Member States to prioritise upgrades of dual-use infrastructure along military mobility corridors. It also stresses the need to reinforce communication, navigation and energy supply systems and to protect strategic infrastructure against hybrid threats and attacks.
The draft report is of direct relevance for ports because it confirms the growing recognition of civilian transport infrastructure as an essential enabler of Europe’s defence readiness. The explanatory statement further notes that military transport operations increasingly rely on the dual use of civilian infrastructure and transport assets, while administrative requirements, including customs formalities, continue to hamper cross-border operations. This reflects an evolving policy environment in which ports are expected to contribute not only to trade and connectivity, but also to preparedness, emergency response and the secure movement of equipment and essential supplies.
FEPORT has consistently supported this direction while underlining that dual-use expectations must be matched by realistic implementation conditions. In its position paper on military mobility and the dual use of ports, FEPORT welcomed the increased focus on streamlining military mobility and highlighted the critical role of ports as strategic nodes for reliable supply chains and defence preparedness. At the same time, FEPORT has stressed in previous exchanges that additional operational, security and infrastructure requirements cannot simply be absorbed within ordinary commercial investment cycles and should therefore be accompanied by adequate funding and legal predictability.
