The Netherlands’ roads and railways do not meet NATO requirements for large-scale military transport in the event of war, the Netherlands Court of Audit concluded. Owing to the country’s strategic North Sea location, it is expected within NATO to serve as a transit country for allied equipment. Some exceptionally large vehicles cannot currently use the designated military corridors, while other infrastructure would need renewal or replacement. Large-scale transport could also disrupt road and rail traffic.

The Court of Audit estimated that up to €9.5 billion may be needed to strengthen bridges and raise viaducts for military transport, but said many costs remain unknown and the estimate is uncertain. Infrastructure Minister Karremans said the government aims to enable military transport as efficiently and without obstruction as possible, and that further European information is needed to establish the final cost.