DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(3):104-129

From Barriers to Opportunities: The Road to the Adoption of the BRIDGEforEU Regulation in the EU

Zsuzsanna Fejesa,b
a University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Dugonics tér 13., Hungary
b Ludovika University of Public Service, 1083 Budapest, Ludovika tér 2., Hungary

In its 9th Cohesion Report, the European Commission emphasised the importance of border regions and cross-border cooperation, as well as the substantial progress that has been made in reducing economic, social, and territorial disparities within the European Union. Although border regions have a high innovation potential and contribute to cooperation that benefits all, they often represent barriers to harmonious development, symbolising a less unified Europe.

Cross-border cooperation has become an integral part of EU Cohesion Policy, serving as a vital tool for developing border regions and fostering European territorial cohesion. While progress has been made in recent years to facilitate cross-border interactions, many border obstacles remain.

This study addresses two research questions. Firstly, it focuses on increasing awareness of and recognition for cross-border cooperation within EU Cohesion Policy, particularly with regard to the future of Interreg. Secondly, it examines how legal and institutional barriers that hinder the everyday lives of people living in border regions can be eliminated, alongside EU efforts, such as Interreg (funding) and the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation, EGTC (legal-institutional instrument). The main methods employed in this study were historical analysis of the legal and institutional processes of cross-border cooperation, assessment of empirical data from EU policy papers and evaluation of EU legal documents. After providing an overview of the legal and institutional evolution of cross-border cooperation, the paper focuses on the European Union’s attempts to establish an effective regulatory and governance framework for such cooperation. Finally, the study analyses the recently adopted BRIDGEforEU Regulation, which could provide a new governance mechanism for eliminating border obstacles. It summarises the Regulation’s potential benefits and relevance for cross-border cooperation within the EU.

Keywords: cross-border cooperation, EU Cohesion Policy, Interreg, European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), B-solutions, BRIDGEforEU

Published: December 26, 2025  Show citation

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Fejes, Z. (2025). From Barriers to Opportunities: The Road to the Adoption of the BRIDGEforEU Regulation in the EU. DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism, 17(3), 104-129
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