European Parliamentary Research Service Blog

Written by Marco Centrone and Jérôme Saulnier with Maxim Baumgaertel.

Military mobility, defined as the capacity of armed forces to swiftly move troops and equipment across the European Union (EU), is a crucial but long-overlooked aspect of European defence. After decades of underinvestment and unresolved obstacles, there is a need to intensify coordinated and integrated efforts at EU, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Member State level to increase resources and address physical, legislative, and regulatory barriers that continue to cause delays and disruptions for military forces. Failure to act would leave armed forces unprepared in the face of threats, and undermine the security of citizens. Ultimately, this could jeopardise the EU’s ability to demonstrate credible deterrence and achieve defence readiness.

Upcoming initiatives at EU level represent an opportunity to finally adopt a comprehensive approach to military mobility. Clear added value could be provided by not only increasing targeted investment in dual-use infrastructure and reducing regulatory burdens, but also addressing issues in related security and defence domains that clearly impact military mobility decisions, including investment in cybersecurity, logistics hubs, stockpiling and transport innovation to enhance the security and resilience of military networks.

For current ambitious defence initiatives, allocating sufficient budgetary resources is essential. This briefing looks within and beyond the current framework and explores the potential impact of additional investment of between €75 billion and €100 billion until 2035 to improve the current state of infrastructure. Our analysis finds that the added value associated with a larger amount of funds invested collectively leads to benefits which are almost three times higher (€21 billion additional GDP per year in 2035) than when Member States invest separately and in an uncoordinated way.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Towards a comprehensive and beneficial approach to military mobility‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Written by Pieter Baert.

On 16 July 2025, the European Commission proposed a revision to the Tobacco Taxation Directive, alongside modifications to the general Excise Duty Directive. The aim is to restore the effectiveness of EU-wide minimum tax rates on tobacco products and extend their scope to cover new product types. The initiative aims to support the EU’s goal of a tobacco-free generation by 2040, recognising taxation as a key tool in reducing tobacco use.

2025/580 (CNS) – Proposal for a Council Directive on the structure and rates of excise duty applied to tobacco and tobacco related products (recast) – COM(2025) 580, 16.07.2025

2025/0581(CNS) – Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive (EU) 2020/262 as regards the general arrangements for excise duty in respect of tobacco and tobacco related products – COM(2025) 581, 16.07.2025

For the latest developments in this legislative procedure, see the Legislative Train Schedule:

• 2025/0581(CNS)
• 2025/580(CNS)

Read the complete briefing on ‘Revision of the Tobacco Taxation Directive‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.