Commission sets out Military Mobility plan with major implications for civilian transport networks

The European Commission and the High Representative have outlined an extensive package to accelerate military mobility across the Union, setting out measures that will significantly reshape civilian transport systems, cross-border procedures and infrastructure investment planning. The Joint Communication, published on 19 November, seeks to establish an EU-wide Military Mobility Area by 2027, with a long-term objective of a regulatory framework comparable to a “military Schengen”.

Although the initiative is driven by defence and security considerations, the bulk of the proposed measures will affect civilian actors. Civilian transport operators, rail and port authorities, customs services and infrastructure managers are expected to experience substantial procedural and operational changes.

The Communication identifies persistent fragmentation in national rules governing cross-border movements, including cases where civilian operators contracted by national authorities must comply with procedures designed for commercial activity rather than high-risk or oversized consignments. The Commission argues that delays created by divergent rules, paper-based diplomatic clearances, and slow abnormal-load authorisations increase vulnerability for both military and civilian networks.

To address this, the package proposes a single EU rulebook for cross-border military transport permissions, covering diplomatic clearances, dangerous goods, abnormal loads and the use of civilian fleets under contract. These rules are intended to streamline processes for the armed forces while reducing knock-on disruption for civilian traffic, particularly on busy road, rail and port corridors. The proposal includes standardised templates, shortened timelines and permissions that remain valid until revoked. Simplifications for civilian operators are also envisaged, including exemptions from holiday traffic bans and temporary suspension of cabotage restrictions where necessary.

A digital processing system covering clearances, routing information and a digitalised Form 302 is foreseen as a long-term project to reduce administrative burdens for both civilian and military authorities. The Commission notes that digitalisation will be essential to safeguard operational continuity and reduce risks linked to hybrid attacks against vulnerable logistics chains.

The Communication also places strong emphasis on dual-use infrastructure. Civilian networks, particularly rail, ports, airports and bridges, will require significant upgrades to accommodate oversized and overweight convoys without causing economic disruption. The Commission highlights the need for reinforced bridges, expanded port capacity, additional rail loading points, and more resilient energy and communications infrastructure. These investments will also serve civilian mobility, but the planning will be driven by military requirements. Four priority corridors have already been identified, with an initial list of 500 projects requiring urgent action.

Infrastructure resilience is a core element of the package. The Commission warns that cyberattacks on aviation, rail and maritime systems have demonstrated the vulnerability of interconnected civilian networks. It proposes that Member States identify strategic dual-use infrastructure and apply enhanced resilience and protection measures beyond those required under the Critical Entities Resilience Directive. Civilian energy and transport operators will be expected to meet strengthened cybersecurity obligations, diversify supply chains and reduce reliance on high-risk vendors.

The Communication also proposes more structured cooperation between civilian and military authorities. Each Member State will designate a national coordinator for military transport operations to ensure consistent handling of cross-border permissions and customs procedures, and to manage interaction between military movements and civilian networks in real time. Annual “military transport readiness checks” and stress tests will assess how civilian systems handle high volumes of cross-border movements.

Although the package is framed as a defence initiative, the Commission stresses that the purpose is to minimise disruption to civilian transport and ensure that dual-use networks remain functional during crises. The proposal now requires consideration by the Council and Parliament.

EU publishes methodology for calculating GHG savings from low-carbon fuels

The Commission has published the delegated act setting the methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions savings from low-carbon fuels, marking a significant step in operationalising Directive 2024/1788 on rules for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen. Commission Delegated Regulation 2025/2359 appeared in the EU Official Journal on 21 November and will enter into force on 11 December.

The act establishes a detailed life-cycle accounting framework covering inputs, processing emissions, transport, end-use emissions and deductions for carbon capture, utilisation or storage. It excludes recycled carbon fuels, which continue to fall under the methodology set by Delegated Regulation 2023/1185. The Commission seeks alignment between the rules governing low-carbon fuels and those applicable to renewable fuels of non-biological origin and related categories.

A core feature of the methodology is the explicit treatment of upstream methane emissions, reflecting the new obligations under Regulation 2024/1787 on methane leakage in the energy sector. Methane intensity must be traced to individual batches based on the supplier profile registered in the Union database. Where data gaps exist, operators may use standard values included in the annex, which also contains extensive default factors for fossil and biogenic inputs, material inputs and electricity.

The act sets out the conditions under which carbon capture and storage can be credited as emissions reductions. Geological storage sites in third countries may be recognised if national laws provide equivalent monitoring and remediation obligations and if stored CO₂ is not used for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery. Sites with repeated leakage will not be accepted.

The regulation also clarifies the treatment of low-carbon hydrogen. In order to maintain consistency with the renewable hydrogen framework, low-carbon and renewable hydrogen produced in the same electrolyser must be assigned the same emissions intensity over the relevant period. The Commission notes that values for the global warming potential of hydrogen leakage will need to be added once scientific evidence is sufficiently mature.

Electricity inputs are subject to four alternative accounting methods, ranging from annual averages to real-time marginal emissions factors. Where an installation relies on low-carbon electricity to meet the required thresholds, operators must ensure coherence with the temporal correlation rules in the renewable hydrogen delegated act. The annex includes annual average emission intensities for electricity generation and net imports for all Member States from 2019 to 2023.

By July 2028, the Commission must assess potential alternative pathways to recognise low-carbon electricity from nuclear installations and consider the implications of average values for electricity emissions. It must also examine whether to introduce country or regional standard values for input intensities.

The delegated act provides the technical backbone needed to certify low-carbon fuels under Directive 2024/1788 and is expected to influence investment decisions in hydrogen, synthetic fuels and carbon capture. Its entry into force will trigger detailed compliance work by fuel producers, electrolyser operators and certifiers ahead of the broader implementation of the EU’s gas and hydrogen market reforms.

Industry coalition presses Commission to anchor renewable fuels in revised CO₂ standards for cars and vans

A coalition of automotive, fuel and road transport associations has urged the European Commission to integrate renewable fuels into the forthcoming review of the CO₂ standards for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, arguing that the current regulatory framework creates structural disincentives for investment and undermines the EU’s decarbonisation pathway. Signatories include VDA, CLEPA, FuelsEurope, IRU and a broader group of sectoral organisations.

The joint statement supports electrification as the primary route to decarbonising light-duty vehicles but calls for a more technology-open approach that formally recognises the contribution of renewable and synthetic fuels. The group argues that existing inconsistencies between the CO₂ fleet regulation, the Renewable Energy Directive and ETS II weaken investment signals across the value chain and risk slowing progress towards the 2050 climate neutrality objective.

Five regulatory adjustments are proposed. First, the coalition calls for equal treatment of new and existing vehicles. They argue that renewable fuels should be recognised within the fleet targets for newly registered vehicles, rather than limited to the existing fleet under the Renewable Energy Directive. Without this, they contend that investment in production capacity and distribution infrastructure will remain constrained.

Second, the signatories propose a carbon correction factor. Under the current regulation, all internal combustion vehicles are treated as operating exclusively on fossil fuels. The group says this fails to reflect the evolving EU fuel mix, where renewable fuels accounted for more than five percent in 2022 according to the SHARES database. A correction factor linked to the actual renewable share would allow fleet CO₂ values to be adjusted to reflect real-world emissions.

Third, the statement calls for vehicles capable of operating exclusively on renewable fuels to be recognised as zero-emission vehicles under the regulation. The coalition argues that aligned taxation and charges should follow, and that such vehicles should be permitted to enter the market before 2030 to unlock early investment in production and vehicle development.

Fourth, the group requests a uniform EU legal definition for renewable fuels, aligned with the Renewable Energy Directive and covering eligible biofuels, biogas, RFNBOs and recycled carbon fuels that meet the Directive’s sustainability criteria. They argue that legal clarity is essential for planning, certification and accounting within the CO₂ regulation.

Fifth, the signatories advocate a long-term trajectory for strengthening minimum CO₂-reduction requirements for renewable fuels. They propose that this be addressed in the forthcoming review of RED IV, ensuring coherence with EU climate objectives while avoiding stranded investments in existing facilities.

The coalition frames its proposals as necessary to provide investment certainty, maintain industrial competitiveness and support a socially acceptable transition. The Commission is preparing the review of the CO₂ standards for cars and vans, which is expected to become a central political debate in 2026 as the EU reconsiders the 2035 phase-out trajectory.