BRIDGEforEU Regulation to address obstacles in border regions approved!

The European Commission is pleased to announce the adoption by the European Parliament of the new BRIDGEforEU Regulation on 6 May 2025. The Regulation establishes a new instrument “to facilitate identifying and resolving cross-border obstacles”.

Around 150 million Europeans live close to a border, in regions with a huge potential for economic growth and integration but whose development and interactions are hindered by legal and administrative discrepancies. According to a study funded by the Commission, removing 20% of current obstacles would boost GDP by 2% in cross-border regions and create over one million jobs.

With BRIDGEforEU, Members States will be encouraged to establish Cross-Border Coordination Points to assess requests from local stakeholders on potential obstacles and relay them to the national authorities.. After an obstacle is assessed and recognised, Member States and regions can use the Cross-Border Facilitation Tool, a voluntary standard procedure designed to solve administrative and legal obstacles. While each request must be answered to, the decision on whether to resolve an obstacle remains the prerogative of the competent national authorities.

The adoption is the result of 10 years of negotiation among the Commission, the Parliament and Member States. Such process allowed to reach a proposal that would concretely impact border regions without creating unnecessary burdens for national and regional administrations. The Commission is grateful for the positive cooperation with the European Parliament throughout this process.

BRIDGEforEU will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU. It will be a powerful tool to sew together borders in Europe, promoting the development of these laboratories of European Integration.

Want to know more about this new Regulation, its implications and the upcoming creation of Coordination Points? The Border Focal Point Network’s next breakfast debate will unveil and discuss all aspects of it. Stay tuned and connect with us in June!