Germany, the Netherlands and Poland have agreed to set up a transport corridor running from Europe’s North Sea ports to NATO’s eastern flank. Defense News reported yesterday that the three countries signed a declaration of intent on Jan. 30 to develop the corridor, with plans to tackle infrastructure choke points, such as low bridges, and slash bureaucracy around permits for cross-border transport of ammunition and other dangerous goods, the Dutch Ministry of Defense said in a statement. They’ll also study how military rail transport can be prioritized over routine civilian traffic.
“It’s about heavy material that has to pass through on bridges and roads, but it’s also about bureaucracy, it’s also about red tape,” Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said at the Military Mobility Symposium in Brussels on Jan. 30. “We know one thing for sure: If the crisis comes, we are not going to have the time to do our paperwork; the paperwork has to be ready.”
