Border Regions' instrument for development and growth (BRIDGEforEU)

PURPOSE: to support the development of cross-border regions by making it easier to find solutions to their challenges, such as infrastructure development and the management of cross-border public services.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2025/925 of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Border Regions’ instrument for development and growth (BRIDGEforEU).

CONTENT: this Regulation establishes a framework to facilitate identifying and resolving cross-border obstacles that hamper the establishment and functioning of any infrastructure necessary for public or private cross-border activities, or of any cross-border public service that is provided in a given cross-border region and that fosters economic, social and territorial cohesion in that cross-border region.

The framework provides for the possibility to initiate a procedure with regard to a cross-border obstacle in a Member State which decides to establish a cross-border coordination point in accordance with this Regulation.

Scope

The Regulation applies to cross-border obstacles in land or maritime border regions of neighbouring Member States. It does not apply to cross-border obstacles in border regions between Member States and third countries. However, it provides Member States with the possibility to establish equivalent procedural frameworks under national law to address cross-border issues in their cooperation with third countries.

Establishment of cross-border coordination points

Member States will be free to decide whether to set up cross-border coordination points to handle cross-border cases, as well as how to remove cross-border obstacles. The regulation specifies the list of tasks of the cross-border coordination points, as well as possible transfers of cases between cross-border coordination points.

Member States that do not wish to establish cross-border coordination points will have to provide the Commission with information on the relevant authority. This relevant authority must be able to be contacted and receive information from a cross-border coordination point in a neighbouring Member State that is handling a cross-border case.

Where a Member State has both land and maritime borders with other Member States and decides to establish one or more cross-border coordination points, that Member State will not be required to establish a cross-border coordination point for a maritime border shared with another Member State. Two or more neighbouring Member States may decide to establish a joint cross-border coordination point competent for one or more of their cross-border regions.

Member States that only have maritime borders with other Member States will not be required to set up a cross-border coordination point.

Cross-border files

The initiator shall prepare a cross-border file and submit it to the cross-border coordination point in one of the Member States in the territory of which the geographical area concerned by the alleged cross-border obstacle is located. Where cross-border files concerning the same cross-border obstacle are submitted in two or more neighbouring Member States, the respective cross-border coordination points shall liaise with each other to determine which one of them shall handle the cross-border file. The other cross-border coordination points shall transfer their cross-border files accordingly.

Only public or private law entities would be able to initiate cross-border files, while natural persons would not be able to do so.

The obligation to provide detailed information on each cross-border file is limited exclusively to Member States that set up cross-border coordination points. A single register will be maintained at EU level and populated with data that Member States must transmit. A new annex clarifies the structured information to be provided.

The Regulation sets the frequency at which data and information must be transmitted to the Commission at once a year.

By 9 June 2030, the Commission will review the implementation of the Regulation and submit a report to the European Parliament, the Council, the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 8.6.2025.