The CoR Working Group on Defence, chaired by Fernando López Miras, held its second meeting to discuss Europe’s defence readiness in light of increasing geopolitical tensions. Members emphasised that regions and cities are crucial partners in implementing the EU’s Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap, strengthening supply chains, supporting dual-use infrastructure, and reinforcing Europe’s overall resilience.
Discussions focused on three key themes:
1. Accelerating military mobility across the EU, ensuring that troops and equipment can move quickly in a crisis.
2. Building a whole-of-society approach to defence and resilience, involving local and regional authorities, civil protection, and critical infrastructure operators.
3. Ensuring transparent and balanced use of public infrastructure, maintaining accessibility for citizens while supporting defence needs.
Riho Terras, Member of the European Parliament and Vice-Chair of the Security and Defence Committee, stressed the urgent need to remove administrative barriers: “In a crisis, Europe cannot afford to wait months for paperwork while tanks sit still. Military mobility must mean being able to move troops and equipment across our Union in days, not weeks – and that requires cutting red tape and investing seriously in our critical infrastructure.” Referring to the EU’s new military mobility investment package, he added: “The €17.65 billion military mobility package is not just about roads, rails and bridges; it is about making sure that, when it matters most, Europe can actually defend itself and move what is needed, where it is needed, in time.”
Olgierd Geblewicz, President of West Pomerania called for a broader societal preparedness agenda: “In these uncertain times, defence is no longer the exclusive task of our armies – it starts in every region, every city and every village. Cohesion policy must remain strong and be clearly geared towards the mental and physical preparedness of our people.”
Andre Knapp, Lord Mayor of the City of Suhl underlined the need for transparency and balanced civil–military coordination in the use of Europe’s public infrastructure: “As we strengthen Europe’s defence, we must make sure that public infrastructure does not disappear from everyday civilian use. Real-time data on which assets are used for defence and which remain open to the public is essential to keep our communities safe and secure.”
Finally, Fernando López Miras, President of Murcia, reaffirmed that regions and cities are ready to support the EU’s Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap: “Regions and cities are prepared to help ramp up Europe’s defence readiness by accelerating industrial capacities and technologies, developing skills and talent, improving logistics connectivity, and expanding the defence ecosystem with new players.”