EFA win, as EU approves BRIDGEforEU cross-border framework

The European Free Alliance (EFA) Group warmly welcomes the European Parliament’s approval of the BRIDGEforEU Regulation, a long-awaited legislative breakthrough to improve the lives of citizens in cross-border regions.

The European Parliament has today approved the BRIDGEforEU Regulation, aimed at addressing legal and administrative barriers affecting cross-border cooperation within the EU.

The new law introduces a voluntary coordination framework for Member States to identify and resolve obstacles that hinder the planning, financing and implementation of EU projects in border regions. These regions are home to over 150 million EU citizens.

The Regulation provides for the establishment of Cross-Border Coordination Points, which will assess requests from legal entities and liaise with national authorities to explore potential solutions. A public register will also be created to document and monitor reported obstacles.

Ana Miranda MEP, EFA MEP and Greens/EFA Shadow rapporteur, said:

“With the adoption of BRIDGEforEU, we respond to a long-standing demand from EFA: removing border obstacles to build a Europe of the Peoples.”

“This Regulation supports the development of border territories through a standard procedure to resolve obstacles preventing citizens and businesses from fully benefiting from EU integration.”

“It will help address issues such as qualification recognition, healthcare access, environmental policy coordination, and transport development.”

The Regulation follows a trilogue agreement reached in December 2024, after more than six years of negotiations.