At a high-level event held in Riga, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), in cooperation with the Latvian association ‘Sustainability Cluster’, stressed the need for substantial progress on delivering the EU’s vision for an improved system of mobility.

In the rapidly changing international geopolitical landscape, the European Union must step up its efforts towards climate-neutral, resilient and competitive mobility systems and military mobility capabilities. This was the clear message that emerged from a forum on Mobility in Europe 2030– serving sustainability and military purposes, held in Riga on 17 September 2026.

Organised by the EESC’s Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN) in cooperation with the Latvian association ‘Sustainability Cluster’, the event brought together representatives from the European institutions, national authorities, business, academia and civil society.

The high-level forum served as a space for strategic dialogue to assess progress, share best practices, and set out practical pathways for both achieving sustainable mobility and boosting military mobility capabilities across Europe.

Focus on the mobility value chain

European mobility is being asked to deliver more than ever before – for Europe’s economy, citizens, climate and increasingly also for its security. The objective is that by 2030 it will connect Europe better and make it genuinely sustainable and more resilient, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

More specifically:

• Mobility is becoming a strategic European issue – Europe is asking more and more of its transport system. Mobility has to be cleaner and more sustainable; infrastructure must strengthen the EU’s competitiveness and single market; transport must remain accessible and affordable for citizens; and, in today’s geopolitical landscape, networks must be resilient and capable of supporting Europe’s security.
• Sustainability and resilience have to reinforce each other – Reducing the dependence on imported fossil fuels can strengthen both the EU’s climate objectives and its strategic autonomy.
• Infrastructure can serve several European objectives at once – Europe’s future mobility system must invest in dual-use civilian-military infrastructure (railways, roads and technologies) and at the same time in people and skills.
• Europe needs to invest seriously in connectivity – The EU needs to invest to remove bottlenecks from its infrastructure, complete cross-border connections and modernise its transport networks. On this matter, the EESC has called for at least EUR 100 billion to be allocated to transport in the Connecting Europe Facility 2028-2034, underlining that investment must deliver European added value and respect social and environmental criteria.
• Sustainability has to reach people’s everyday mobility – European mobility is also about people’s everyday lives. The green mobility transition will only succeed if citizens experience it as better mobility – not simply as more restrictions or higher costs. The mobility transition must also not create new inequalities between urban and rural areas or between people with different levels of access to transport services.
• Competitiveness, sustainability and social responsibility – The EU needs a transport system that is economically strong, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible. Digitalisation and interoperability should reduce unnecessary administrative burdens. At the same time, simplification must support enforcement, safety, workers’ rights and the single market.

Quotes from high-level speakers

‘Europe in 2030 must be able to move – sustainably, competitively, fairly and securely. Our task is to design a European mobility system in which these objectives do not compete with one another, but reinforce one another.’

Marcin Nowacki, President of the Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

‘Mobility is no longer simply a transport issue – it is a strategic issue. Europe needs infrastructure that serves citizens and economies while strengthening resilience, security and military readiness across borders.’

Baiba Miltoviča, President of EESC’s Permanent Group on Transport

‘A sustainable future will not be built by vision alone – it requires decisive action today. Sustainability has become a strategic imperative, shaping our economy, security, mobility and quality of life. The challenge before us is to move beyond isolated projects and short-term solutions and build resilient, interconnected systems capable of meeting the needs of future generations.’

Armands Gūtmanis, Chairman of the Latvian association ‘Sustainability Cluster’

‘Most of the issues for military mobility are low hanging fruit – they don’t need a lot of money or time to be solved. I am certain we can find solutions with our Council and Commission colleagues. We have to learn lessons from Ukraine’s experiences and improve our own mobility and security.’

Roberts Zīle, Vice-President of the European Parliament

‘European transport mobility has become a fundamental pillar of safety, security and competitiveness, requiring infrastructure to facilitate economic movement while enabling rapid military deployments. Addressing these challenges requires strong EU funding support and cross‑sector cooperation to integrate regional projects, expand energy resilience and build a connected, dual-use transport network.’

Rihards Kozlovskis, Latvian Minister for Transport