Memorandum of understanding between Bulgaria, Greece and Romania on enhanced cross-border cooperation in the framework of the Black Sea – Aegean Sea Corridor Platform (BACP)

European Commission, 3 December 2025

Video

Preamble

RECALLING the commitment of the European Union to develop a unified, efficient, and sustainable transport network as set out in the Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), including the mandatory technical requirements for infrastructure interoperability, digitalisation, and climate resilience;

REITERATING the strategic importance of seamless cross-border connectivity for strengthening the Union’s economic, social, and territorial cohesion, and the resilience of the internal market;

RECOGNISING the extension of European Transport Corridors to Ukraine and Republic of Moldova, as a strategic response to evolving geopolitical realities and a reaffirmation of the Union’s commitment to connectivity with neighbouring countries;

UNDERLINING the strategic significance of the Baltic Sea – Black Sea – Aegean Sea and the Rhine – Danube European Transport Corridors as critical arteries of multimodal mobility, enablers of military mobility, and enhancers of the European Union’s crisis response capacity, while also highlighting their complementarity and synergies within the core, extended core and comprehensive TEN-T network;

ACKNOWLEDGING the need to accelerate the implementation of dual-use and climate-resilient infrastructure along the corridors connecting the Republic of Bulgaria, the Hellenic Republic, and Romania;

ECHOING the commitment of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Hellenic Republic, and Romania to strengthen cross- border intermodal connectivity and align planning, in particular by constructing new bridges and border crossings in line with the provisions of the TEN-T Regulation and military mobility and sustainability needs, as expressed in the Euxinograd Declaration from October 2023;

EMPHASISING the relevance of coordinated action to ensure interoperability, regulatory convergence, and administrative efficiency in the planning, financing, and execution of cross-border projects;

ADVOCATING for enhanced monitoring mechanisms to track progress on corridor implementation, ensuring transparency and accountability;

WELCOMING the role of the European Coordinators in facilitating cross-border cooperation and corridor governance;

COMMITTED to fostering a structured, transparent, and inclusive approach to regional connectivity, aligned with Union objectives and responding to evolving geopolitical, environmental, and logistical challenges;

NOTING the Commission proposals for the Multi-annual Financial Framework 2028-2034, including the Connecting Europe Facility and other EU instruments, to support dual-use infrastructure and accelerate the completion of the TEN-T, and the cross-border sections in particular.

Section 1 – Establishment of the Platform

The Government of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Government of the Hellenic Republic, and the Government of the Romania (hereinafter “Participants”) decide to establish the Black Sea

– Aegean Sea Corridor Platform (BACP) as a framework for regional cooperation aimed at enhancing cross-border transport infrastructure and its planning and implementation, as well as facilitating seamless logistics. This will be achieved through coordinated action, including the joint mobilisation by the three Member States of Union and national funding and financing instruments, the streamlining of administrative procedures, and accelerated deployment of dual-use and climate-resilient infrastructure along the corridor.

Section 2 – Objectives

The BACP will pursue the following objectives:

1. To promote strategic and operational alignment of national transport policies and priorities with the European Transport Corridors and the TEN-T Regulation, ensuring joint planning and synchronised implementation across the borders;

2. To accelerate the realisation of critical cross-border projects, including those with dual civil-military use, in accordance with EU technical and operational standards;

3. To strengthen trilateral coordination in regulatory, administrative, and technical domains relevant to cross-border project development;

4. To enhance the resilience, sustainability, and digitalisation of the transport network in the region, fostering climate-friendly and technologically advanced infrastructure;

5. To develop synergies and take actions that support seamless cross-border connectivity and improved transport operations;

6. To ensure coherence of financing strategies and project pipelines, and to optimise the use of EU and international funding and financing instruments;

7. To strengthen corridor governance and stakeholder engagement, ensuring structured coordination among national authorities, European Coordinators, and relevant actors;
8. To reinforce monitoring and performance evaluation mechanisms, enabling transparency and adaptive management;

9. To promote interoperability and harmonisation of technical standards, including the deployment of ERTMS, 740m freight train compatibility, and European standard nominal track gauge, ensuring seamless multimodal mobility across borders;

10. To integrate climate resilience and military mobility objectives, by prioritising infrastructure compliant with dual-use criteria and climate-proofing specifications set out in Annexes II and III of Regulation (EU) 2024/1679;
11. To foster innovation and digitalisation, by advancing intelligent transport systems (ITS), 5G-enabled infrastructure, and digital platforms for logistics, traffic optimisation, and data sharing.

Section 3 – Geographical Scope

The BACP will cover the multimodal transport connections within the TEN-T framework, linking:

• Western Axis: Athens – Thessaloniki – Promachonas (EL) – Kulata – Sofia (BG) – Vidin/Calafat – Craiova – Bucharest (RO);

• Central Axis: Thessaloniki/Alexandroupoli – Ormenio (EL) – Svilengrad – Ruse (BG) – Giurgiu – Bucharest (RO) – Siret (RO/UA) and Ungheni (RO/MD).

• Eastern Axis: Alexandroupoli – Ormenio (EL) – Svilengrad – Stara Zagora – Burgas/Varna (BG) – Constanta (RO).

This includes inland waterways (Danube), rail, road, ports, airports, multimodal terminals, bridges and urban nodes as part of the TEN-T core, extended core and comprehensive networks.

Section 4 – Governance Framework

The governance of the BACP will be composed of a High – Level Black Sea – Aegean Sea Corridor Platform and a Technical Working Group (TWG) and Thematic sub-working groups (TSWG), as follows:

1. High-Level Black Sea Aegean Sea Corridor Platform (HLBACP)

Composed of Ministers of Transport supported by the European Coordinator for the Baltic Sea – Black Sea – Aegean Sea, other European Coordinators and EU institutions where necessary.

Where appropriate, the member of the European Commission responsible for Transport may be invited to participate in the BACP and, in a high-level facilitative capacity, provide strategic guidance to help steer the discussions, without assuming any formal role or decision-making powers within the Platform.

The actions envisaged by the Ministers within the framework of this memorandum, include:

• Sharing responsibility for strategic guidance, annual progress review, and political coordination.

• Overseeing the implementation of this Memorandum and coordinating the work of the Technical Working Group (TWG) and Thematic sub-working groups (TSWG).

2. Technical Working Group (TWG) and Thematic sub-working groups (TSWG)

Thematic sub-working groups (TSWG) can be convened based on the existing needs. Composed of senior officials from the three Participants, the Commission, and key stakeholders and chaired by the European Coordinator(s). 

The Technical Working Group (TWG) and Thematic sub-working groups (TSWG) may be supported by transport operators i.e., freight market representatives, and other stakeholders along the corridor with practical insights into infrastructure needs and operational requirements along the Participants’ cross-border networks.

Thematic sub-working groups (TSWG) can cover the following subjects:

• Infrastructure Planning & Funding and Financing;
• Resilience; Military Mobility, Sustainability & Innovation;
• Regulatory & Administrative Cooperation.

The outcome of each Thematic sub-working group (TSWG) will be concluded with a report listing concrete next steps and actions.

Section 5 – Action Plan for enhanced Cross-Border Cooperation

The three Participants prepare an Action Plan that includes a list of cross-border projects addressing the (dual-use) connectivity needs along the corridor, as well as relevant national projects. The list outlines each project’s priority, level of maturity, estimated cost, improved technical standards and expected timeline for completion.

The Action Plan serves as the foundation for the development of the Joint Project Pipeline and Investment Strategy, which is overseen by the HLBACP and incorporated within the governance of the European Transport Corridors. The A ction Plan accompanies the present Memorandum of Understanding, and the progress of the projects referred to therein is updated by the Technical Working Group (TWG) and thematic sub-working groups (TSWG).

The three Participants will, as a first priority, develop and approve a Joint Plan for the development of the corridor (infrastructure and operations), based on the joint needs assessment, no later than 30 September 2026, after which the Action Plan and Joint Project Pipeline will be derived and updated accordingly.

Section 6 – Joint Project Pipeline and Investment Strategy The three Participants commit to:

1. Developing and maintaining a Joint Project Pipeline, covering priority inland waterway (Danube), rail, road and multimodal projects.

2. Aligning infrastructure planning with the EU funding framework.
3. Ensuring synchronised development of the infrastructure.
4. Cooperating closely on all permitting and preparatory studies, including joint scoping where appropriate,- and to ensure swift, coordinated approvals by competent authorities for cross border and interdependent projects.

5. Coordinating applications for EU funding and technical assistance. Maximising synergies with complementary EU Instruments, by coordinating with relevant programmes to reinforce policy coherence and enhance co-financing opportunities.

6. Where required, adapting the transport infrastructure to dual-use standards as a matter of urgency. In this regard, the Participants commit to making use of all the available EU funding and financing instruments and analyse the opportunity of joint applications.
7. Identifying and applying blended and alternative financing instruments, including PPPs, where appropriate.

Section 7 – Final Provisions

1. This Memorandum expresses the shared political commitment of the Participants and is not legally binding.

2. It enters into effect upon signature by all Participants.
3. It may be amended by mutual -consent.

4. Without prejudice to the TEN T 2030/2040- objectives, the Participants will adopt a staged delivery approach, with milestone based targets and contingency measures. Where existing dates are not feasible, the Participants will update timelines transparently through the HLBACP annual review.

5. The Action Plan and this Memorandum shall inform and be reflected in the Corridor’s work plan and in the corresponding Commission implementing decision concerning the Corridor, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1679.

6. The Governments of other Member States and stakeholders may be invited to join or cooperate with the BACP, subject to agreement by all members of the High-Level Black Sea Aegean Sea Corridor Platform.

Signed in Brussels, on 3 December 2025

For the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria

Grozdan Karadjov

Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Transport and Communications

For the Government of the Hellenic Republic

Konstantinos Kyranakis

Alternate Minister of Infrastructure & Transport

For the Government of the Romania

Ionuț Cristian Săvoiu

Secretary of State of Transport and Infrastructure

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