NordenBladet —
Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Peeter Tali was pleased that the audit set out as a matter of concern that the administrative procedures of military mobility in the EU were complicated and there was no single point of contact. “The need to facilitate the exchange of information between Member States was also highlighted in the Committee when we approved Estonia’s positions on strengthening Europe’s civilian and military readiness,” Tali said. “It must be clear who does what in this area, and information must reach all necessary actors smoothly and rapidly.”
Chairman of the National Defence Committee Kalev Stoicescu noted that the special report showed that the dual-use infrastructure projects selected by the European Union may not be the most effective from military point of view, as geopolitical aspects were not sufficiently considered. “The audit helps to get a good understanding of what can be done better in the future. One important observation is that more consideration needs to be given to geopolitical and military aspects when selecting for funding infrastructure projects that need to serve both civil and military purposes,” Stoicescu said.
The report of the European Court of Auditors examined the progress made regarding the EU policy on military mobility. The focus was on the EU’s second Action Plan (2.0) of November 2022, which was developed under time pressure, amid Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and covers the period 2022-2026. The objective of the action plan is ensuring swift and seamless movement of military personnel, materiel and assets at short notice and on a large scale, and progress towards this has so far been variable.
The Court of Auditors presents various recommendations to strengthen the EU’s impact on military mobility. The recommendations cover governance, funding predictability and the selection of dual-use infrastructure projects under the next multiannual financial framework. The Court of Auditors believes that their audit provides an opportunity both to improve implementation of the current 2021–2027 multiannual financial framework and to prepare for the next period.
The joint sitting of the Committees starts at 1:30 p.m. in the Conference Hall of the Riigikogu and will be live streamed online. Video recording will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: The Riigikogu committees get an overview of Special Report on EU Military Mobility at a public sitting
Source: Parliament of Estonia