The European Union has akcknowleged that the restoration of rivers and their floodplais remains necessary. This is reflected in the Water Framework Directive (WFD), the Biodiversity Startegy of 2020, and most recently the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) of 2024. The Biodiversity Strategy and NRL contain quantitative objectives regarding river restoration. These regulations intensivise EU Member States and countries in greater Europe to develop plans and implementation actions to improve environmental conditions of their rivers. 

Over the past few decades, many river restoration projects have been implemented by national governemnts and non-govermental actors such as civil society organisatuions. However these efforts often took often place in isolation and without collaboration beyond national borders.