ESTA has proposed a series of amendments to the European Union’s Military Mobility Package – while at the same time underlining its strong support for the proposals.
The amendments are an attempt to make the whole package as efficient and as practical as possible for civilian transport operators who are responsible for an estimated 80 per cent of military loads.
ESTA Director Ton Klijn said: “Our support for the package remains strong and unwavering. Our proposed amendments are simply part of the necessary discussions about the precise detail.”
Amendments from all interested parties are currently being considered by the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism (TRAN) Committee. Once agreed, a final draft will be put to the full European Parliament for approval.
It will then go into the so-called Trilogue process – the three-way negotiation where the EU’s Parliament, Council, and Commission hammer out the final version of a law before voting on it. Supporters of the package hope to have it agreed by the end of June this year.
ESTA’s proposed amendments include:
- the proposed less restrictive rules on driving and resting during military activities to be unified across the EU
- permits for abnormal military transport to take into account modern trailer technologies and axle load distribution systems that reduce infrastructure impact and enhance safety
- permitting procedures to be digitalised to ensure swift and uninterrupted abnormal military transports
- member states to ensure that bridges and culverts in the military mobility road corridors are marked with signage indicating load-bearing capacities.
ESTA is also calling for greater clarity on the legal and contractual responsibilities and employment conditions for civilian operators included in the so-called Solidarity Pool.
The Solidarity Pool is a proposed mechanism where EU countries share transport and logistics assets with each other.
EU member states will be able to register transport capabilities – such as rail wagons, trucks, ferries, aircraft and so on – and other countries will be able to use those assets if they need to move troops or equipment quickly.
This new system aims to approve cross-border military transit in as little as six hours in an emergency and to ensure that Europe’s military has priority access to transport infrastructure in a crisis.
Despite the urgency, supporters of the package are concerned that its progress could be slowed by opposition from a small number of nations and some narrow sectoral interests.
Klijn added: “We have long campaigned for agreed pan-European heavy transport routes for both military and industrial use, and we recognise that such routes will necessarily integrate road, rail and water infrastructure.
“We sincerely hope that across Europe national and sectoral differences can be put to one side for the greater benefit of all.”