This article was originally published in English
Switzerland will become a member of the EU initiative to facilitate the mobilization of military forces and equipment, in which third countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Norway and Canada are already participating.
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Switzerland will join the EU’s military mobility project, which aims to ensure the rapid and smooth movement of military personnel, equipment and assets, after member states decided on Monday evening to send the country an official invitation.
The neutral country’s Federal Council decided last August that Switzerland would participate in the EU initiative to cut red tape when mobilizing armies across or between EU member states, whether by rail, road, air or sea, but Member States still had to give the final green light for the Netherlands, project coordinators, to send the official invitation letter.
“Switzerland’s participation in the project is compatible with the principle of neutralitybecause it does not imply any legal or de facto commitment to collective defense.said the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sports (DDPS) euronews.
Other non-EU countries, such as the United States, Canada, Norway and the United Kingdom, are also part of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) project, which aims to deepen cooperation in defense between Member States (with the exception of Malta, which does not participate in PESCO) and NATO partners.
The EU Military Mobility Initiative acts as a Schengen for the armed forces. It allows Member States’ troops to respond more quickly and more effectively to crises at the Union’s external borders or beyond, both for EU operations and for deployments in other multilateral frameworks such as the NATO, including on short notice and on a large scale.
The action plan on military mobility (2022-26) also aims to strengthening the preparedness and resilience of transport infrastructure such as railways, roads, waterways and airports used for civil and military purposes.
Following the invitation from member states, Switzerland only needs to conclude an administrative agreement to become an official member. The terms of cooperation will be defined in a non-binding administrative arrangement.
The country also intends to join the Cyber Ranges Federation projectcoordinated by Estonia since 2021, in order to improve the quality of the Swiss army’s training and deepen its interoperability.
“Both projects – Cyber Ranges Federation and Military Mobility – offer the opportunity to expand international cooperation between the armed forces and thus strengthen Switzerland’s national defense capabilities and its contributions to European security”declared the DDPS.
For the moment, Switzerland does not intend to participate in other PESCO projects, but the possibility remains for the future.
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