JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the Action Plan on Military Mobility
Date: 2018-03-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, European Defence Agency, European defence policy, European security, action programme, trans-European network, transport infrastructure

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY Brussels, 28.3.2018 JOIN(2018) 5 final  JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the Action Plan on Military Mobility  
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION: IMPROVING MILITARY MOBILITY IN THE EU 

In his State of the Union Address of 20171, President Juncker stressed the imperative of 
creating a fully-fledged European Defence Union by 2025. The EU is already taking the 
necessary  steps  to  build  a  more  effective,  responsive  and  joined-up  Union,  capable  of 
pursuing  EU's  shared  interests  and  priorities  in  promoting  peace  and  guaranteeing  the 
security of its citizens and territory, as also called for in the Global Strategy for the EU 
Foreign  and  Security  Policy2.  The  European  Defence  Action  Plan  and  in  particular  the 
European  Defence  Fund  show  Europe’s  commitment  to  take  bold  action  in  support  of 
Member States. Improving military mobility in the European Union is one of the practical 
steps  to  that  end,  hence  contributing  to  building  a  Union  that  protects,  where  European 
solidarity and mutual assistance3 are implemented effectively.  

Twenty-five  EU  Member  States  have  decided  to  include  military  mobility  among  the 
more binding commitments they have taken under the Permanent Structured Cooperation 
launched  on  11  December  2017 4 .  The  Council  also  adopted  a  Recommendation 
concerning the roadmap for the implementation of the Permanent Structured Cooperation 
and  a  Decision  establishing  the  list  of  projects  to  be  developed  under  the  Permanent 
Structured  Cooperation  on  6  March  20185.  In  December  2017  military  mobility  was 
added  to  the  common  set  of  new  proposals6 for  the  implementation  of  the  EU-NATO 
Joint  Declaration  of  July  20167.  The  European  Council  in  December  20178 invited  the 
High Representative, the Commission and the EU Member States to bring work forward 
on military mobility, both in the Permanent Structured Cooperation and in the context of 
EU-NATO cooperation. 

The guiding principles of the EU approach  

As a follow-up to the Joint Communication on improving military mobility in the EU of 
November 20179, and building on the Roadmap  by the ad-hoc working group on cross-
border military transportation within Europe in the framework of the European Defence 
Agency, the present Action Plan aims to provide a coherent framework for the ongoing 
and  future  programmes,  projects,  initiatives  and  activities.  This  will  allow  for  a  more 

1   The  State  of  the  Union  2017,  13  September  2017:  http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-17-

3165_en.htm  

2   The  Global  Strategy  for  the  European  Union's  Foreign  and  Security  Policy,  Foreign  Affairs  Council 

Conclusions, 14 November 2016. 

3   Article 42.7 TEU 
4   http://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/32000/st14866en17.pdf 
5   http://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/33064/council-recommendation.pdf 
http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6393-2018-INIT/en/pdf 

6    http://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/31947/st14802en17.pdf 
7   http://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/21481/nato-eu-declaration-8-july-en-final.pdf 

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/31947/st14802en17.pdf 

8   http://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/32204/14-final-conclusions-rev1-en.pdf 
9    https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/joint_communication_to_the_european_parliament_and_the_ 

council_-_improving_military_mobility_in_the_european_union.pdf 

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coordinated EU approach, strengthening solidarity among Member States and improving 
the EU's added-value.  

A better mobility of forces within and beyond the EU will enhance European security by 
enabling  the  EU  Member  States  to  act  faster,  in  line  with  their  defence  needs  and 
responsibilities,  both  in  the  context  of  Common  Security  and  Defence  Policy  missions 
and operations, as well as national and multinational activities (e.g. in the framework of 
NATO).  

Working closely with the EU Member States, including all their relevant actors, is key for 
the  implementation  of  this  Action  Plan.  This  will  be  done  in  full  respect  of  the 
sovereignty  of  EU  Member  States  over  their  national  territory  and  national  decision-
making  processes  regarding  military  movements.  Further  to  that,  steps  to  enhance 
cooperation  between  the  Union  institutions,  agencies  and  bodies  and  the  competent 
national  authorities  within  the  EU  Member  States  will  be  taken  in  full  respect  of  the 
different  competences  of  the  actors  involved.  Close  coordination  between  the  present 
Action Plan and the Permanent Structured Cooperation project on military mobility needs 
to be ensured in order to reach complementarity of results. 

Further  cooperation  with  NATO  on  military  mobility,  in  the  framework  of  the 
implementation  of  the  Joint  Declaration,  is  also  important.  In  line  with  the  Council 
conclusions of December 2017, cooperation and consultation with NATO is taking place 
at  staff  level,  through  regular  meetings,  on  issues  of  military  mobility  in  all  domains 
(land,  maritime,  air).  The  intention  is  to  ensure  a  coherent  approach  and  synergies 
between  the  EU  and  NATO  aiming  to  effectively  address  existing  barriers,  including 
legal,  infrastructure  and  procedural,  in  order  to  facilitate  and  expedite  movement  and 
border  crossing  of  military  personnel  and  material,  in  full  respect  of  sovereign  national 
decisions.  This  cooperation  will  be  taken  forward  in  full  openness  and  transparency, 
respect  of  the  decision-making  autonomy  and  procedures  of  both  organisations, 
inclusiveness  and  reciprocity  without  prejudice  to  the  specific  character  of  the  security 
and  defence  policy  of  any  EU  Member  State.  Interaction  with  all  relevant  stakeholders 
will aim to optimise coordination and effectiveness so as to grasp all synergies.  

Results of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Cross-Border Military Transportation 

The present Action Plan builds upon the Roadmap on Military Mobility developed by the 
Ad  Hoc  Working  Group  set  up  in  the  framework  of  the  European  Defence  Agency  by 
decision of its Steering Board in September 2017. The Ad Hoc Working Group Roadmap 
identified tasks, responsibilities and ambitious timelines for improving military mobility 
with regards to the following four aspects: legal aspects; customs; military requirements, 
including 
infrastructure-related  military  standards;  and  cross-border  movement 
permissions,  including  diplomatic  clearances.  The  European  Defence  Agency's  Steering 
Board  welcomed  the  Roadmap  on  9  February  2018  and  tasked  the  European  Defence 
Agency to pursue further work on improving military mobility, also in the framework of 

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the implementation of this Action Plan, and to report to them on an annual basis on the 
progress made.  

In addition, the EU Member States are engaged in a number of cooperation projects and 
initiatives facilitated by the European Defence Agency: the Project Team Movement and 
Transport 10 ,  the  EU  Multimodal  Transport  Hub 11 and  the  Diplomatic  Clearances 
Technical Arrangement12.  

2. 

IDENTIFIED ACTIONS  

2.1  Military requirements  

The identification and agreement of the military requirements, reflecting the needs of the 
EU and its Member States, will be the starting point for an effective approach across the 
EU, encompassing all other actions defined in the following sections. These requirements 
should  include  also  the  definition  of  the  infrastructure  needed  for  military  mobility.  It 
requires the EU Member  States  to  follow a whole-of-government approach and involve 
the competent national authorities beyond the Ministries of Defence. 

Key actions at EU level:  

  The  European  External  Action  Service/EU  Military  Staff  will  develop,  in  close 
cooperation  with  the  EU  Member  States,  the  Commission  and  relevant  Union 
agencies  and  bodies  (including  the  European  Defence  Agency),  and  in  consultation 
with NATO as appropriate, the military requirements 

  By  mid-2018,  the  Council  is  invited  to  consider  and  validate  the  military 
requirements,  involving  the  relevant  preparatory  bodies,  including  the  EU  Military 
Committee.  

2.2   Transport infrastructure 

Transport  infrastructure  policy  offers  a  clear  opportunity  to  increase  synergies  between 
defence needs and existing Union policies, and in particular the trans-European transport 

10   The  PT  M&T  brings  together  experts  from  the  EU  Member  States  with the  aim  to  identify  potential 
fields  of  cooperation,  assess  the  feasibility  of  cooperative  activities  and  increase  the  consistency  of 
military needs. The PT M&T is a platform where the EU Member States exchange information about 
all  ongoing  activities  on  Movement  and  Transport  with  the  aim  to  benefit  from  ongoing  initiatives 
while avoiding the risk of duplicating work. 

11   https://www.eda.europa.eu/what-we-do/activities/activities-search/eu-multimodal-transport-hubs  
12   https://www.eda.europa.eu/docs/default-source/documents/dic-ip.pdf  

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network  (TEN-T)13.  In  this  context  there  is  scope  for  demonstrating  the  EU’s  added 
value, and ensuring a more efficient use of public money. 

Pilot exercise 

As a feasibility check for an EU-wide approach, the Estonian Presidency initiated in 2017 
a pilot analysis for the countries of the North Sea-Baltic Corridor of the trans-European 
transport network14, involving their defence and transport representatives. The aim of the 
analysis is to initiate the steps described below in order to identify preliminary elements 
which may be useful for a full-scale analysis. 

This pilot exercise has indeed proved useful. The participating Member States in the pilot 
exercise  have  already  identified  weak  points  in  their  transport  networks  for  military 
purposes, which need to be upgraded, and have established a related list of priorities. 

To give two concrete examples, the analysis showed that in several EU Member States' 
road  networks,  the  maximum  height  clearance  of  road  bridges,  as  well  as  the  weight 
tolerance  of  certain  bridges,  is  not  sufficient  for  oversized  or  over-weighted  military 
vehicles; equally, as regards transport by rail, in certain cases there is insufficient loading 
capacity to move oversized military equipment.  

The  pilot  exercise  identified  that  there  are  major  opportunities  for  dual-use  civilian-
military infrastructure, amongst others in multimodal platforms allowing to quickly shift 
assets  from  ports  and  airports  to  rail  and  road,  in  improving  the  capacity  of  inland 
terminals  and  in  adequate  loading  gauges  on  freight  rail  lines.  All  this  is  to  be  further 
refined  following  the  actions  laid  down  in  this  Action  Plan,  but  the  pilot  exercise 
confirmed that the methodology applied, which is reflected in the box below, works. 

Making use of EU transport infrastructure for dual civilian-military purposes 

As  identified  in  the  Ad  Hoc  Working  Group  Roadmap,  the  intention  is  to  extend  and 
deepen  the  pilot  exercise  to  evaluate  to  what  extent  the  existing  transport  infrastructure 
prioritised  by  the  trans-European  transport  network  Regulation  across  all  modes  of 
transport and its technical requirements are relevant and sufficient for military transport 
of  personnel  and  assets  and,  to  the  extent  that  they  are  not,  to  investigate  and  develop 
additional infrastructure sections and elements and upgrade the requirements. 

13   Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 
on  Union  guidelines  for  the  development  of  the  trans-European  transport  network  and  repealing 
Decision No 661/2010/EU, OJ L 348, 20.12.2013, p. 1. 

14   The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland 

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Key actions at EU level: 

  By  end  of  2018,  the  Commission  will  identify,  in  cooperation  with  EU  Member 
States,  the  European  External  Action  Service/EU  Military  Staff  and  the  European 
Defence  Agency,  the  gaps  between  the  current  technical  requirements  applicable  to 
the trans-European transport  network on the one  hand, and what  would be adequate 
for  military  transport  on  the  other.  In  addition,  the  gaps  related  to  the  geographical 
scope will also be identified. 

  By  2019,  the  Commission  services  will  identify  the  parts  of  the  trans-European 
transport  network  suitable  for  military  transport,  including  necessary  upgrades  of 
existing infrastructure. Dual-use projects will be specifically identified and their cost 
quantified.  On  the  basis  of  the  findings  made,  a  list  of  priority  projects  will  be 
identified.  In  addition  an  estimation  of  the  total  volume  of  investments  for  military 
needs on the trans-European transport network will be carried out. 

  By 2020, the Commission will assess the need to adapt the trans-European transport 
network  Regulation  to  include  upgraded  technical  requirements  –  possibly  also 
covering military requirements. 

  By  end  of  2019,  the  Commission  will  determine,  in  cooperation  with  the  relevant 
parties, the feasibility of interlinking the military and civilian (TENtec) databases and 
the possible scope of any such action. On that basis the Commission will identify any 
further  adaptations  to  the  TENtec  functionalities  that  would  be  required  for  these 
purposes and determine a procedure to keep the databases updated. 

  Ongoing:  The  Commission  will  continue  to  seek  and  foster  synergies  between  the 
its  relevant  space  programmes  (e.g. 

transport  network  and 

trans-European 
EGNOS/Galileo). 

EU Member States are invited to: 

  Establish  as  soon  as  possible,  a  single  point  of  contact  for  information  on  access  to 

transport infrastructure for military purposes. 

  Consistently  take  military  requirements  into  account  when  building  transport 

infrastructure. 

2.3 

Regulatory and procedural issues 

2.3.1  Dangerous goods 

Land  transport  of  dangerous  goods  is  an  area  where  the  EU  Member  States  and  the 
Commission  are  actively  involved  in  the  negotiation  of  a  complex  set  of  international 
conventions  and  United  Nations  recommendations.  These  are  however  valid  only  for 
civilian  use,  while  the  EU  Member  States  apply  national  rules  when  requested  to  grant 
freedom of  movement  to  military transport including  dangerous goods. This divergence 
from civilian rules requires ad hoc authorisations and creates delays.   

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The  alignment  of  rules  applicable  to  military  forces  with  existing  EU  legislation  could 
increase safety and provide synergies and coherence for the transport of dangerous goods 
in the military domain, without weakening civilian standards.   

Key actions at EU level: 

  By  spring  2019,  the  European  Defence  Agency  will  carry  out,  in  close  cooperation 
with the European External Action Service/EU Military Staff and all other authorities 
involved,  a  survey  covering  a  number  of  items:  national  provisions,  a  definition  of 
needs,  suitability  of  existing  civilian  harmonised  rules  and  possible  need  for 
additional provisions or adjustments. EU Member States are invited to provide active 
support in this process.  

  Ongoing:  The  Commission  services  will  continue  to  facilitate,  in  close  cooperation 
with  the  European  External  Action  Service/EU  Military  Staff  and  supported  by  the 
European Defence Agency, the exchange of knowledge between civilian and military 
experts on the transport of dangerous goods.  

  By  2020,  the  Commission  services  will  assess  the  feasibility  and  need  for  further 
action  at  EU  level,  in  close  cooperation  with  the  European  External  Action 
Service/EU Military Staff and the European Defence Agency. 

  By  summer  2019,  the  European  Defence  Agency  will  also  investigate,  in  close 
cooperation  with  the  Member  States  and  the  European  External  Action  Service/EU 
Military  Staff,  the  feasibility  to  improve  the  consistency  of  rules  and  procedures  as 
regards military transport for the air domain (transport and handling) in the territory 
of Member States.  

2.3.2 Customs and Value Added Tax   

During the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group, some EU Member States have reported 
operational difficulties resulting from a lack of clarity as regards the use of form 302 for 
temporary export and re-import of military goods by or on behalf of the armed forces of 
the EU Member States. 

Key customs actions at EU level: 

  By end of 2018, the Commission services will carry out, with the EU Member States, 
the European External Action Service/ EU Military Staff and the European Defence 
Agency, a mapping of the customs related activities to be covered with form 302. In 
addition, the Commission services will assess, in close cooperation with the European 
Defence Agency, the need to develop an EU template of form 302 when the existing 
form  302  cannot  be  used.  This  assessment  will  include  the  potential  impact  on  the 
current customs legislation. 

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  By  end  of  2018,  the  Commission  will  explore  possible  options  for  streamlining  and 
simplifying  customs  formalities  related  to  the  customs  related  activities  for  military 
operations.  It  will  also  ensure  the  uniform  application  and  implementation  of  the 
related customs provisions. 

  By  end  of  2018,  the  Commission  will  identify  the  acts  to  be  amended,  if  any.  If 
needed  and  on  that  basis,  the  Commission  will  initiate  amendments  to  the  Customs 
regulatory  framework  and  notably  the  Union  Customs  Code-related  Commission 
Acts15 with a view to clarifying the use of form 302 for the identified customs related 
activities.  

  The Commission will develop, with the involvement of the European External Action 
Service/EU  Military  Staff  and  European  Defence  Agency,  guidelines  to  ensure  the 
correct  and  uniform  implementation  of  customs  legislation  on  matters  related  to 
military  activities.  The  timeline  for  this  will  depend  on  the  adoption  of  the 
amendments referred to above. 

  By summer 2018, the European Defence Agency will prepare a Category A project on 
Customs, subject to the Steering Board decision, with a permanent coordination with 
the European External Action Service/EU Military Staff and the Commission services 
and  Member  States’  military  and  customs  expertise,  without  prejudice  to  the 
Commission's Union Customs legislation initiative. 

  EU  Member  States  are  invited  to  assess  by  end  of  2020,  the  need  to  develop 
electronic systems, using also EU space technologies, for the management of customs 
related activities by military forces and customs authorities. 

Facilitating military mobility also concerns the current Value Added Tax rules. Defence 
efforts  and  military  mobility  in  particular  necessitate  a  number  of  supplies  such  as 
training, exercise materials, accommodation, provision of food/canteen services, fuel etc. 
These supplies are in principle subject to Value Added Tax. In the framework of the Ad 
Hoc  Working Group on Military  Mobility, Member  States  identified the  need to ensure 
defence  efforts  being  treated  equally,  in  order to  reduce  the administrative  burden,  thus 
avoiding  delays  and  costs  of  military  mobility,  and  providing  Member  States  with  an 
incentive to cooperate.  

15   Commission  Delegated  Regulation  (EU)  2015/2446  of  28  July  2015  supplementing  Regulation  (EU) 
No  952/2013  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  as  regards  detailed  rules  concerning 
certain  provisions  of  the  Union  Customs  Code  –  OJ  L  343,29.12.2015,p.  1  and  Commission 
Implementing  Regulation  (EU)  2015/2447  of  24  November  2015  laying  down  detailed  rules  for 
implementing certain provisions of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of 
the Council laying down the Union Customs Code – OJ L 343, 29.12.2015,p. 558 

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Key Value Added Tax actions at EU level: 

  By end of 2018, the Commission will assess options, in consultation with EU Member 
States  and in  close  cooperation  with  relevant Union  actors,  to  reduce  administrative 
burden,  and  the  feasibility  of  aligning  the  Value  Added  Tax  treatment  of  defence 
efforts undertaken within the EU framework and the NATO umbrella.   

2.3.3 Cross Border Movement permission 

As  proposed  in  the  Ad  Hoc  Working  Group  Roadmap,  the  cross  border  movement 
permission (including diplomatic clearance) is an area where the EU Member States can 
work  together  to  increase  the  consistency  and/or  the  effectiveness  of  their  procedures. 
Cross  Border  Movement  Permission  concerns  the  procedures  to  acquire  permission  to 
cross  borders.  The  diplomatic  clearance  in  force  reduces  the  administrative  burden  and 
the  time  to  allow  military  mobility.  The  existing  Diplomatic  Clearance  Technical 
Arrangement  proved  its  value  in  a  specific  part  of  air  transport,  but  also  with  clear 
restrictions  such  as  exclusion  of  airspace  regions,  aerodromes  or  denial  of  certain 
missions,  as  individually  imposed  by  the  signatories.  Annually  issued  Diplomatic 
Clearance  Numbers  from/by  the  contributing  EU  Member  States  as  well  as  the  caveats 
and on/off hour contacts are managed and displayed on a dedicated web portal.  

An  arrangement  on  cross  border  movement  permission  focussing  on  surface  movement 
would be an opportunity to enhance military mobility for road, rail and inland waterways. 
Administrative  procedures  could  be  partially  laid  out  in  an  arrangement  to  ensure 
common  rules  and  procedures,  in  particular  for  Common  Security  and  Defence  Policy 
missions and operations, as well as activities in other frameworks, exercises and for daily 
movements.  

With  regard  to  air  movements,  those  conducted  under  rules  for  general  air  traffic  must 
comply  with  the  regulatory  framework  established  under  the  Single  European  Sky.  For 
those flights operated under national Operational Air Traffic rules, Member States need to 
rely on bilateral arrangements or Diplomatic Clearance Technical Arrangement for cross-
border  operations.  A  timely  and  accurate  reporting  of  safety  information  at  European 
level  would  help  when  it  comes  to  verifying  that  all  safety  requirements  are  met. 
Furthermore,  the  availability  of  certain  facilities  and  services  would  contribute  to 
ensuring  both  the  safety,  regularity  and  efficiency  of  the  global  aviation  system  and 
compliance  with  the  requirements  of  military  air  operations.  This  could  be  reached  by 
promoting  a  common  understanding  of  key  principles,  sharing  best  practices  and 
monitoring their practical implementation. 

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Key actions at EU level:  

  By summer 2018, the European Defence Agency will prepare a Category A project on 
Cross  Border  Movement  permission,  subject  to  the  European  Defence  Agency 
Steering  Board's  decision,  to  support  the  EU  Member  States  in  developing 
arrangements on cross-border permissions.  

  The  European  Defence  Agency  will,  through  the  Project  Team  Movement  and 
Transport,  provide  a  platform  for  the  exchange  of  views  between  the  EU  Member 
States  and  the  European  External  Action  Service/EU  Military  Staff  and  NATO,  on 
lead times for surface movement.  

EU Member States are invited to: 

  Map  the  current  landscape  of  national  regulations  affecting  the  allowance  of  other-
than-own military assets to operate in the EU Member States, notably with respect to 
restrictions. 

  Contribute to the definition of the domain-specific operational requirements of asset 

movement, in the context of the military requirements. 

 

Identify national regulatory restrictions and their underlying political reasoning. 

  Develop  solutions  by  using  existing  work  strands  and  products  and  balancing 
operational  requirements  with  rational  political  restrictions,  thus  achieving  the 
granting of (diplomatic) clearances with the minimum national caveats necessary. 

  Determine  the  need  to  adapt  national  regulations  where  an  improvement  in  military 
mobility can be achieved on the basis of these modified regulations, while preserving 
essential non-military motivated restrictions only where necessary. 

  Sign  domain-specific  arrangements  that  harmonise  procedures  and  allow  pre-
authorisation  of  cross  border  movement  permission  for  military  movement  and 
transportation needs to be pre-authorised. 

2.3.4  Other issues  

Additional  non-exhaustive  lines  of  action  related  to  regulatory  and  procedural  issues, 
including legal aspects, are also laid down in the Ad Hoc Working Group Roadmap. This 
includes  further  clarification  of  the  possible  impact  of  the  EU  Status  Of  Forces 
Agreement on military mobility, once it is in force.  

Furthermore improving military mobility in the EU needs to take account of threats that 
are  of  hybrid  nature.  Consideration  should  therefore  be  given  to  the  military  mobility 
dimension  when  implementing  the  relevant  actions  under  the  Joint  Framework  on 
countering hybrid threats.16 

16 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52016JC0018  

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Key actions at EU level: 

  By spring 2019, the European Defence Agency will conduct a survey on these other 
issues, involving the competent Member States authorities as well as the Commission 
services and the European External Action Service/EU Military Staff as appropriate in 
order to identify possible additional lines of action. 

  Ongoing: In the implementation of the Joint Framework on countering hybrid threats, 
specific attention will be put on the military mobility dimension, especially as regards 
intelligence analysis capacity (hybrid fusion cell), decision making in case of threats 
and resilience of critical infrastructure. 

  EU Member States are invited to consider the EU Status Of Forces Agreement and 

its implementation in relation to military mobility, once it enters into force. 

3.  BUDGETARY IMPACT 

This Action Plan does not have any impact on the EU budget except the possible funding 
in  the  future  of  dual-use  infrastructure,  as  outlined  under  chapter  2.2  above.  In  this 
context, the possible additional financial support from the EU for the implementation of 
the dual-use projects will be taken into account in the Commission's upcoming proposal 
for the multiannual financial framework. 

4.  WAY FORWARD 

The  Action  Plan  on  Military  Mobility  is  submitted  by  the  High  Representative  and  the 
Commission  to  the  EU  Member  States  for  consideration  and  endorsement,  which  will 
allow for its implementation in a timely and coordinated manner. It should be considered 
a living plan, subject to possible subsequent revisions, as appropriate. 

Periodic progress reports on the implementation of this Action Plan will be presented to 
the  EU  Member  States  by  the  High  Representative  and  the  Commission  as  appropriate 
with  the  first  to  be  submitted  by  summer  2019,  in  addition  to,  and  in  complementarity 
with  the  annual  reporting  of  the  European  Defence  Agency  to  the  Member  States’ 
Defence Ministers. 

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